Mobile Phone Theft

Serving our communities and protecting them from harm

Introduction

Mobile Phone Theft

There were an estimated 742,000 victims of mobile phone theft in England and Wales in 2012/13

(2012/13 Crime Survey for England and Wales)

This represents just under 2% of all mobile phone owners

The majority of these thefts were crimes against the person (as opposed to crimes against property): 34% were “theft from the person” and 40% “other personal theft”.

For 14-24 year olds, the rate of theft is around 3.5%, with the rate being higher among women

(Source: “Reducing Mobile Phone Theft and Improving Security, September 2014” from www.gov.uk)

How To Prevent Thefts

Serving our communities and protecting them from harm

There are many simple pieces of advice to prevent mobile phone theft:Be discreet on the street – keep phones and valuables out of sight

Stay alert – don’t let headphones block out traffic, strangers or potential trouble

Listen to instincts – know your location and routes, avoiding dark places and staying in public areas

Never let a stranger use your phone – in an emergency make a call for them

Keep the phone on your person at all times, not just with you

Pay attention to the location of your phone

Be aware of pickpockets in crowds; don’t make it easy for them

Don’t display phones in an unattended vehicle

Avoid using a mobile when you exit train stations, or places where crowds allow thieves to easily disappear

How To Be Prepared For A Theft

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IMEI numberOwners should make a note of the IMEI number, which is unique to each phoneThis allows the phone to more easily be reported stolen and returned if foundThis can be found by keying*#06# into any mobile

ImmobiliseRegistering a phone on Immobilise (immobilise.com) allows it to be reported stolen more easilyThis also allows police to identify the owner of a recovered phone and return it to its owner

How To Avoid Buying A Stolen Phone

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You can never become the legal owner of a stolen phoneCheck key details on a second-hand phone before buying it, including:

A photo of the phone (not a stock photo, but one of the actual phone)

The price in comparison to similar products

The IMEI number of the phone: check this on checkmend.com/uk, which shows the make and model of the phone with that IMEI and whether it is currently lost or stolen. If it is showing as lost or stolen inform the company hosting the advert.

The name of the seller

Whether the phone has been modified in any way

Check the IMEI of the phone against the receipt

If you purchase a handset you should use an auditable payment method, such as cheque, credit transfer, Paypal to the named person. Do not pay into a third person’s account as you lose control of the transaction

How To Avoid Buying A Stolen Phone

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Phones reported as stolen will not work in the UKThis block will not be removed by any network provider, even if the phone was bought in good faithRead the wording of an advert carefully: phrases such as ‘Does not work in UK, but works abroad’ indicate that the phone is stolen

If you do find that you have bought a stolen phoneReport it to your local police to investigate

How To Deal With Thefts

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Register for free at immobilise.com to help get a lost or stolen phone back. Block your phone – contact your network provider or call 08701 123 123. Trace lost or stolen phones by activating their in-built tracker app or by downloading a reputable one from your app store.

Immobilise is the world's largest free register of possession ownership details and, together with its sister sites the police's NMPR and ChckMEND, forms a very effective tool in helping to reduce crime and repatriate recovered personal property to its rightful owners. The site can be used by members of the public and businesses to register their valued possessions.

Tracking Software

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Tracking software allows the owner to locate their phone.In some cases, this can be done even if the phone is switched off.

What else can the software do?Some applications allow the owner to:Scream – activate a loud alarm on the phone (even on silent)Message – display a message on the screen to show the phone has been lost or stolenLock - remotely lock the phone from the webWipe – remove all data from the phone, including contacts and user accounts

Apps are available from:Find My iphone - https://ssl.apple.com/uk/icloud/find-my-iphone.html Android (Google Play) - https://play.google.com/store?hl=en_GB Blackberry - http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/?%3fcountrycode=DE&lang=en

Information/Actions To Help Get A Stolen Phone Recovered

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Make, model and serial number of the handset

Mobile service provider

Whether it is a 'contracted' phone or 'pay as you go‘

The IMEI number

Any specific identifying features

Is it property marked (e.g. UV marker, or a proprietary brand)

A photograph of the item

Whether it is locked with a PIN

Registering the phone on 'Immobilise'

Registering the phone as stolen (or lost) on the National Mobile Property Register

Trying to locate the phone using any tracking software or a security application installed on the phone