The Rising Threat of Phone Theft in London
On a recent visit to London, my friend didn’t want to hold her phone in her hand to navigate, in case it was snatched. People on e-bikes and motorbikes mount the pavement to grab phones from people at cafés or as they walk along. It’s a growing problem in the capital: the number of phones being stolen has almost tripled in the last four years, with a reportedly lucrative market for the stolen devices in China. Recently, a major international gang thought to have smuggled 40,000 stolen phones was caught — thanks to one man who tracked his missing iPhone to a warehouse (well done him!).
How to Stay Safe: Awareness and Prevention
So what can you do if you’re in London? Awareness is the main thing. Common-sense precautions help: don’t leave your phone on the table, keep it zipped up or safe when you’re on the Tube, don’t carry it loosely in your hand when walking about, and avoid texting while you walk. It’s very useful to be able to track your phone from another device using apps such as Find My on iPhone or Find My Device on Android — or to have the people you’re with sharing your location.
If you need to report a theft, it’s helpful to know your phone’s IMEI number (a unique identifier for every device). We can tell you if your phone is with us, or you can find it by dialling *#06# on your handset. Do that right now and put the information somewhere safe.
Protecting Business Devices and Data
If you use a business mobile, your phone may hold critical banking, email, messaging and contact details. In particular, your handset might generate the security codes that let you into your bank. If you don’t already have one, you might consider keeping a “doppelgänger” device — a backup phone or tablet where all this information is replicated. If you ever need to wipe your main phone, you won’t risk being locked out of your accounts.
You can read more in our other article: Stolen Device Protection – Secure Business Phones
A Glimmer of Hope: Human Kindness Still Exists
In another London tale, a teenager lost their iPhone whilst visiting the Sky Garden. The rest of the family could tell that the phone was still in the Sky Garden, but no one was admitting to finding it or handing it in. Just before the phone was marked as lost, and everything deleted, a cleaner handed it to security. A tribute to human decency, and an antidote to rising mobile phone crime.
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