Wireless Geekz

Statistics tell us that around 88% or people don’t leave home these days without their 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.

There is also the growing and worrying 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. But there may be some significant call charges arising between the time when the phone was stolen and when it is eventually disabled. There are also the problems that can be caused by losing contact details and other data from the phone.

It has been estimated that as few as only 1 in 5 mobile phone users bother to back up their SIM card data to a separate secure storage device. Although most phones come with software that makes it easy to backup data from the phone to a computer few people take advantage of this.

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

1. The first thing to do is not to make it easy for a thief to 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 associated with every mobile phone that can be used to disable the phone if it has been lost or stolen.
3. You can set your mobile phone to only operate after a configured PIN has been entered. This can be a bit of a nuisance but it will prevent a thief from running up substantial bills on your account.
4. Another simple suggestion is to switch your phone to silent alert or vibrate mode when in busy public places so that no one is alerted if your phone rings.
5. You might consider labelling your mobile phone by engraving your name and car registration details onto your 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.
6. Get into the habit of backing up your SIM card data 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.
7. 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.

Hopefully, by following these simple steps you will avoid becoming one of the lost or stolen mobile phone statistics.

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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.