subject: When Mobile Phone Loss Becomes Theft [print this page] Mobile phones have over the years evolved into wonderfully compact devices that are convenient to carry around in a handbag or pocket. The downside of this unobtrusiveness is that they can easily be lost, often without the owner realising that a mobile is missing until it is far too late and impractical to try and retrace his or her steps and carry out a detailed search.
Unfortunately, aside from the obvious inconvenience, there is a strong chance that a lost mobile phone may be picked up and pocketed by a stranger, effectively becoming a stolen mobile phone. Such an eventuality holds out the frightening possibility of misuse of any stored personal data.
Fortunately there are ways of helping to prevent such misuse should the worst happen. Firstly, it is advisable to adopt the habit of regularly checking whether a phone is still on or about ones person, particularly when leaving a location it will be difficult to return to later, such as a hotel room or public transport; the sooner it is realised that a mobile phone is missing the sooner it will be possible to minimise the impact of possible theft.
Secondly, both the service provider of the mobile phone and the police should automatically be informed of any mobile phone loss. It is also worth, beforehand, keeping handy a note of the phones unique IMEI number (obtained by keying in *#06#).
Finally, it is advisable to prepare for the worst by installing mobile antitheft software on ones mobile phone. Mobile antitheft software will ensure that a mobile can be locked remotely, simply by sending a text message. More sophisticated mobile antitheft software can also wipe files remotely and notify the owner should there be a change of SIM card. At UMU Global our mobile antitheft software is among the most sophisticated on the market, and yet is so easy to install.
