Statistics show that around 88% of us don’t leave home without our mobile phones. Reliance on these incredibly popular and useful devices means that losing one can result in some serious headaches.
But mobile phones have become increasingly compact and lightweight and people often misplace them or they fall out of pockets without our knowledge. In 2008 around 200,000 mobile phones went into washing machines, around 600,000 were dropped down the loo and 55,000 were left in the back of taxis.
Then there is the growing risk of theft. There are over 2 million mobile phones stolen in the UK every year. This means that around one is stolen every 12 seconds and this frightening figure is on the increase.
Initially, when a phone is lost, there is the cost of buying a new one. There may be significant call charges amassed during the time between when a phone is stolen and when it eventually gets disabled. There are also the problems that can be caused by losing contact details and other data from the 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. Even though most modern mobile phones come with software that makes it simple to transfer data from a phones SIM card to a computer relatively few people do this routinely.
So what steps can we take to help keep hold of our mobile phones?
- The first thing is to make it difficult for a thief to actually steal your mobile phone. Never ever leave your phone unattended in your car and always store it securely.
- Make certain you record the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number of your 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.
- You can set your mobile phone to only operate after a configured PIN has been entered. 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.
- Another recommendation is to switch your phone to vibrate mode when in busy public places in order not to attract attention when your phone rings.
- 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 mobile phone as this will help identify the phone if it is lost or stolen.
- It is worthwhile establishing a backup routine, copying your valuable SIM card data to secure storage location as often as possible. If you are adding new contacts and appointments every day then you should be backing up your mobile phone data every day.
- Finally, make certain that you have some mobile phone insurance that provides the protection that you need. Remember that not all mobile phone insurance policies are the same so be certain to read the details and ensure that you get the cover that you want.
By following these steps hopefully you and your phone will not become part of future lost or stolen mobile phone 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.
Tags: insurance, Mobile Phone, protection, security
