Statistics show that around 88% of us don’t leave home without our mobile phones. Clearly reliance on these devices means that losing one can be a real nightmare.

But mobile phones have become increasingly compact and lightweight and people often misplace them or they fall out of pockets without our knowledge. There are some interesting statistics from 2008 including: around 200,000 mobile phones were put into washing machines, around 600,000 were dropped down toilets and 55,000 were left in the back of taxis.

There is also the growing and worrying risk of theft. More than 2 million mobile phones are stolen in the United Kingdom every year. This means that around one is stolen every 12 seconds and this frightening figure is on the increase.

If a mobile phone is lost there is the initial financial headache of replacement. There may be significant call charges amassed during the time between when a phone is stolen and when it eventually gets disabled. Then there are the problems that will arise as a result of losing contact details and other valuable data stored on the mobile phone.

It has been found that fewer than 1 in 5 people who rely on their mobile phones go to the trouble of routinely backing up their phone data. Although modern phones come with software that makes it simple to transfer data to a computer still people don’t take advantage of this simple facility.

So what steps can be take that will help protect us against loss or theft of our valuable mobile phones?

  1. The first thing is to make it difficult for a thief to actually steal your mobile phone. Never leave your mobile phone unattended in the car and always keep it secure in a closed handback or backpack.
  2. Make certain to record the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number from your mobile phone. This is a unique number applied to each and every mobile phone that can be used to disable the mobile phone in the event that it is lost or stolen.
  3. You might like to configure your phone to only work after you have entered a PIN. Having to enter a PIN each time you want to use your phone can be a bit of a nuisance but it will prevent a thief from running up significant call charges on your account.
  4. Another simple step is to switch your phone to vibrate mode when in a busy public place in order to ensure that nobody else is alerted when your phone rings.
  5. You might like to engrave your name and your car registration details onto your mobile phone and its battery. An alternative is to use a system for attaching unique serial number stickers (as provided by trackitback.com) to your phone which will help identify your phone if it is lost or stolen.
  6. It is worthwhile getting into the habit of backing up your SIM card data frequently. As a general rule you should back up your phone data as often as possible which should be every day if you are updating your contacts or appointments every day.
  7. Finally, make certain that you have some mobile phone insurance that provides the protection that you need. There are differences between various mobile phone insurance policies so be certain to read the small print and ensure that the policy suits your requirements.

Hopefully you and your mobile phone will not become one of the future lost or stolen statistics.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You may also like to protect your income with income protection and don’t overlook the need to protect other devices with some useful gadget insurance.

Tagged with: • • •

Filed under: Mobile Cell Phones

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!