18 to 25 year old women most likely to be targeted by smartphone thieves
Data from over 150,000 insurance claims made to Geek Squad has revealed that 18 to 25 year olds are more likely to have their phone stolen than any other age group. 16% of all smartphone thefts in the past year reported to Geek Squad have been from young women aged 18 to 25.
In the past thieves wanted cash, credit cards and handbags. With the average smartphone costing over £300 the focus of thieves has shifted and smartphones are now a prime target. Sofia Skliros, a personal assistant living in London, knows at first-hand what it’s like to be the victim of smartphone theft. Sofia, aged 25, moved to London from Australia 2 years ago, and was mugged by a gang of ten men on her way home from a night out.
Sofia comments, “My friend and I were waiting for a cab when they approached us. They circled us and demanded we handed over our phones; they weren’t interested in our handbags or purses. It wasn’t until I got over the shock that I realised what I’d lost. It’s not just the financial impact that’s upsetting but you lose a lot of personal memories too. I lost all of my photos, my music, and even texts from my family in Australia that I had saved.”
Geek Squad Agent Chris Tufts comments, “In some respects smartphones have become an easier item to steal than a wallet or a handbag. We tend to make sure that belongings like handbags and wallets are kept out of sight and hidden away. We use anti-theft handbag hooks to keep bags out of sight from thieves, but then leave our smartphone on a table, in full view of everyone in the bar.”
Chris adds, “While Geek Squad can’t stop phone muggings happening we can provide some simple steps to protect your phone if it happens to you.”
1 Insure yourself
Smartphones are expensive and should always be insured. Check the details of your insurance package as some insurers can take a few weeks to get your phone back to you. Geek Squad’s insurance has a 24 hour replacement service, so you won’t have to be without a phone for weeks.
2 Download a tracker app
Tracking apps do exactly what they say on the tin, and can help you locate your phone when it goes missing. There’s a big range of tracker apps out there, including Geek Squad’s Get it Back software that work’s across both Apple and Android platforms.
3 Set a pin number on your phone
An obvious one, but you should always make sure you have a pin number set on your phone. Your pin number should not be something easy to guess like four of the same number or a date of birth.
4 Back-up your data
Backing up is important, phone numbers, photos, emails and documents saved to a phone can’t be replaced if your phone gets lost. Android and Apple devices come with software and apps that will back-up your data. It’s also advisable to plug your phone into a computer every few weeks and make sure you have saved anything important to its hard drive.
5 Take a note of your IMEI number
The IMEI number is a unique 14 or 16 digit serial number on every mobile phone manufactured. If you lose your phone your IMEI number can help block it and prevent anyone else using. You can find it by dialling *#06# and it will be displayed on your phone’s screen.
For help and advice on your tech problems visit geeksquad.co.uk to find your nearest Geek Squad Agent and resolve your tech frustration.