Smartphones have not just become an integral part of our lives – they are truly indispensable in today’s world for kids and adults alike. They carry a huge amount of personal information, from photos and contacts to bank details and private messages. So what should you do if your smartphone has been stolen? Who should you report it to? How to block it remotely? These questions are important and demand direct clear answers.
Report the theft to your mobile operator
Contact your mobile operator and report the loss of your smartphone. Specialists will block your SIM-card, so that attackers do not have access to it. This step is often overlooked. Do not forget about it.
Lock your smartphone
If you can’t find your smartphone, immediately lock it via remote control. For Android devices you can do this via Find My Device on Google’s website, and for iPhones just use Find My iPhone on iCloud. This measure will help you with data protection – unauthorized access will become a much more challenging undertaking for any thieves.
Change passwords
Changing passwords to all of your online accounts that you used to access through the stolen smartphone, including social media, email, bank accounts and other services. This will help block attackers from accessing your key personal data.
Block bank cards
Block the cards that have funds available and credit limits set. This way you will prevent attackers from being able to use your financial resources. To do this, contact your bank’s hotline, visit its branch or use an app if there’s any in place.
Contact the police and alert relatives, friends, acquaintances
You should be sure to file an appropriate police report and also inform your relatives and friends about the loss of your phone. This is important to dodge possible scammers who may use your number for fraud and request money on behalf of the phone owner.
Precautionary measures
Be sure to think about some preventive measures that will help in case of gadget loss:
- Find the personal unblocking key (PUK) of your SIM-card. It is indicated on the plastic card. Alternatively, it can be found out in the support service of your operator.
- Write down your IMEI (the serial number of the phone, which is set when the device is manufactured to identify the phone precisely and correctly) in a safe place.
- Add a backup phone number to all your accounts for quick recovery.
- Back up all important information.
- Tie your phone number to your passport, if you can.
- Store important numbers not only on your smartphone, but also in written form – a simple piece of paper would suffice. You could also save them in cloud storage in case you lose your gadgets.
Conclusion
Losing your smartphone today is a real tragedy. After all, it is not just a device you use to talk to people, but a control point of a smart home, a place where passwords, bank cards, valuable photos, videos, etc. are stored. The order of actions in case of a phone loss or theft is important, which is why you should take the advice provided above seriously. It will save you time, money and (which is likely the most important thing) nerves.
Then again, even if your device is safely located next to you, it can start malfunctioning. A broken phone is of no greater use than a stolen one. Thus, contact specialists as soon as you can – repairing it yourself can welcome in even more damage. It’s always easy to find help with electronics repairs in Brooklyn, since the Smart Addiction team works there. There surely are some options available to you too – just make sure to find out who’s best at repairs in your area beforehand!