Stolen Cell Phones

There are a few things cell phone owners can do to reduce the possibility of losing the cell phone, having it stolen, or reducing the damage that can occur in either instance:

Use a clip or leash to keep your cell phone attached to your body.

Don't leave an unattended phone laying in clear view or in a purse that isn't in a locked compartment.

Consider carefully what information you store on your cell phone. If it would create too big of a disaster if it fell into someone else's hands, don't store it. You may not prevent someone from taking your phone, but you can prevent them from accessing important information.

Encrypt the data on your cell phone to prevent others from using it.

You can slow down a thief at least by using passwords to restrict easy access to the keypad. Read this Microsoft page on the importance of selecting a strong password.

Leashes and clips can help you keep track of your cell phone, but another potential option is a cell phone wristwatch. If you wear a watch constantly, it's hard to steal and most thieves would not target your watch for the purpose of using it as a cell phone.

For those who have a GSM phone or smartphone, a stolen cell phone is more than just the absence of the device itself. It's the loss of important information and the potential for identity theft.

Again, security software is a the best protection from information being used or sold by a thief if the owner chooses to store such sensitive information their phone. Some phones now offer features that can help you protect your information although most don't. The iPhone for instance, offers the MobileMe service in which the Find My iPhone feature allows you to do a number of things, including setting up a 4 digital passcode lock to protect your information. You can do this remotely as soon as you realize your iPhone is missing. In addition, you can also do a "Remote Wipe" which removes data from the phone altogether. Users can restore it later if the phone is returned. The service is $100 per year.

There are an number of Motorola phones that are other good options if you wind up with a stolen cell phone. They offer the MotoBlur service which also allows you to locate the phone on a map and do a remote wipe of data as needed. That information is easy to retrieve for your new phone through their website. In fact, security features on cell phones are becoming more common. One example, the HTC Thunderbolt is a popular multi-touch screen phone that allows users to locate the phone on a map, remotely wipe data and forward call/messages to a different number.

Here are two important points for anyone who has a stolen cell phone:

Cell phone owners are responsible for all charges that are incurred prior to the point that the cell phone is reported lost or stolen. Keeping in mind that the "average" thief steals a cell phone to use it rather than sell it, these charges can be significant.

Cell phone contracts have no liability limitations. Thus, owner's responsibility for paying any charges is not limited, capped, or anything else.

Note: Although the owner is responsible for all calls, if the owner set up and paid for their cell phone service via their credit card, they should contact the credit card company to see if the fraudulent calls could be covered through their service.

What should you do if you have a stolen cell phone?

Check the cell phone contract for the specifics but generally, if a phone is stolen or missing it should be immediately reported it to the police. They will want to know the name of the cellular provider, the make and model of the cell phone, and it's Electronic Serial Number so be sure to keep this information on hand.

With the case number assigned by the police, call the cellular provider to let them know what has happened. The company can render the phone unusable if given the IMEI number. (Users can get the IMEI number by dialing *#06# on their cell phone and keeping it on hand) Following notification, the owner can no longer be held accountable for any additional calls.

A rapid response is important and the best defense.

Locating and/or disabling stolen cell phones is sometimes possible; if you've taken precautions. While some phones offer services that allow a remote wipe of information and so forth, many do not. However, some thir party software is available that can help in protecting a cell phone's information and to locate or disable the phone if taken. Phone Guardian reportedly prevents data from being retrieved and provides the information necessary to find the thief and retrieve the phone. However, it is designed for Symbian phones.

Another option is AccuTracking which describes itself as a low cost GPS Tracking Service. A consumer would need to download the software onto their phone prior to it's loss obviously. SunSat Satellite and World Tracker offer other options.

iPhone users can now pay for the MobileMe service. For $100/year, the service allows them to go to the me.com website when their iPhone is missing to find it. The site allows them to see it's approximate location on a map, have it beep if it's nearby, send a text message to it, lock it, or erase information. Motorola now offers MotoBlur on some of their phones like the Cliq, Backflip, and Devour. It allows users to both locate their phone on a map and do a remote wipe of the data to keep it out of the hands of others.

Another possibility is GadgetTrak which can be used with many mobile devices including smart phones and laptops.

With millions of cell phones stolen each year, many consumers consider the purchase of cell phone insurance. Before deciding to go this route however, there are a few things to consider:

Compare the cost of the coverage to the cost of replacing the stolen cell phone.

Add up the monthly payments for the insurance over the expected lifetime of the phone, then add the deductible to that total. If the total is equivalent to what it would cost to replace the phone, insurance is not needed. In other words, the cost of a replacement phone is not significantly more than the cost of paying for the insurance in many instances.

Potential buyers also need to look at what will occur if their phone is stolen or lost under the insurance agreement.

Will the replacment phone be equivalent to the current phone, will it be replaced immediately? If not, will it be a satisfactory solution?

Find out if the cellular provider will help replace a phone in case of theft. If they will, the insurance will be unnecessary.

As we mentioned above, stolen cell phones are a bigger problem than just the missing device. It's possible of course for others to open a cellular account using your personal information (which they can obtain in a number of ways including via your unprotected cell phone).

For more information about this go to FCC.gov.

The good news is that, as one would expect, there are efforts to improve the anti-theft features of cell phones. From phones that lock up when the user is not recognized to phones that allow owners to go online to find their phones exact location, there are several options on the drawing board.

Find out about some of these promising ideas at Techzoogle.com.

Introduction Photo Credit: papalars.
Preventing Cell Phone Theft: Sarah Jones.
It's Not Just a Cell Phone: decadentyou
Stolen Cell Phone Charges: Tracy O.
Report Stolen Cell Phones: Rob Gale.
Locate and Disable Stolen Cell Phones: okko pyykko.
Cell Phone Insurance: geee.darryl.
Fraudulent Accounts: Kai Hendry.

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