I recently received an e-mail that detailed the hottest new crimes that I should be aware of and protect myself against. A quick check on snopes.com refuted the validity of these claims, but also revealed some truths hidden among the exaggerated tales. I decided it would be worthwhile to share the real risks that exist (as opposed to the hypothetical worst-case scenarios) and provide you with some reasonable preventative measures since none of us wants to be a victim (which is why those tall tales spread so quickly).
Protect Your Cell Phone
Smartphones are attractive items to steal because 1) they are valuable, 2) they contain a lot of personal and account information that can be used to steal more from you.
Theft Prevention
Since only 2% of stolen phones are recovered, itโs worth your time and attention to make sure your phone isnโt stolen. Aside from carrying an outdated, frills-free phone, your best option is to keep your phone with you at all times. This may sound obvious, but many people are in the habit of leaving their phone in their gym locker while they workout, or in their beach bag while they walk the shoreline looking for shells, or on the counter while they fill out forms at the school or in an office, or they give it to their child to play with while theyโre in the waiting room and fail to notice when the child drops it for a book instead. Also, be aware that many thieves look for a target phone while it is in use, so they can avoid having to punch in a pass code. When you go to make that quick call outside the store or office, be aware of your surroundings and keep your phone ear next to a wall or against your car, making it much harder for the โsnatch and grabโ many of these phone thieves rely on.
In the Event of Theft
If your phone is stolen, make sure thatโs the worst of it by taking precautions to safeguard the information stored on your phone and to disable the phone so that the thief canโt run up your bill. Here are some ways to do this:
- Password or PIN-protect your phone.
- Install a phone location app on your phone so that you can track its location.
- Install mobile security software which will prevent the thief from hacking into the personal information stored on your phone.
- Do not store identifying labels with any of your contacts (e.g. hubby, home, mom). If you are concerned about emergency personnel being able to contact your family members in case of emergency, rather than labelling them as ICE in your phone, keep this information in your wallet.
- Store your phoneโs serial number and your cell phone service providerโs number in your wallet and at home. To easily obtain your serial number, key in *#06# (star, pound, zero, six, pound) on your cell phone. If your phone is stolen, contact your provider immediately with your serial number so that they can disable the phone.
- Make your phone easy to return. In most cases, your phone is lost, not stolen. Make sure your display shows your e-mail address (even when the phone is locked) so that someone who finds your phone has a safe way to contact you to let you know where it is.
- Special note: I use Lookout Mobile Security app because it:
- Backs up your data to a cloud
- Protects your phone from malware
- Scans all your apps to make sure they are safe
- Blocks malicious websites
- Blocks phishing attempts
- Locates your phone if itโs been lost or stolen
- Locks your phone so unauthorized users canโt use it
- Wipes your data so no one can access it
- Will sound an alarm to help you find it (even in silent mode)
Protect Your Purse
The best tip for keeping your purse from getting stolen is to not carry one. If you can fit what you need into a pocket (or in my case, in the back compartment of my phone case), leave the purse at home. If this isnโt a viable alternative for you, then consider taking these precautions:
- Choose a purse that can either be worn diagonally across your body or tucked snugly beneath your armpit held against your body by your arm.
- In restaurants, keep your purse on your lap or on the floor between your feet.
- Carry your keys in a pocket or wear them around your wrist or neck so that if your purse is stolen, the thief wonโt have access to your car or home (since your address will be in your purse)
- If someone does attempt to steal your purse, throw the purse far away from you so that you can run to safety while the thief fetches the purse.
Protect Your Car
First, letโs go over the obvious tips just as a reminder.
- Donโt leave your car unattended with the motor running. Lock your doors.
- Roll your windows all the way up and close your sunroof.
- Park in your garage if you can, next best choice is a driveway, and then in a well-lit area.
- Donโt leave valuable items in plain sight.
Here are some not-so-obvious recommendations.
- Donโt leave a spare key in or on the vehicle because there are only so many places to hide it and car thieves know all of them.
- Donโt leave anything with your name and address or other personal information on it in the car. This includes your vehicle registration and proof of insurance! Keep copies of these in your wallet/purse.
- If you have a vehicle that is attractive to thieves (see this list), consider investing in having the VIN etched onto windows and valuable parts. You can also purchase your own kit for about $20 and do it yourself. Since most car thieves steal them to sell of the parts, this will make your car less attractive to them.
- If you are going out of town, remove the garage door openers from your car so that thieves canโt gain easy access to your home by breaking into your car.
- If you are in a high-theft area, it may be worth investing the $25-$100 for a steering wheel lock.
- Take good care of your car. A well-maintained car is unattractive to thieves because the owner of the car is more likely to have an alarm, a tracking system, and will notice the theft sooner.
In general, the best ways to protect yourself and your belongings is to:
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Make you and your items unattractive to criminals
- Take measures to minimize any benefit a criminal gets from stealing from you
Thanks for the great tips! I will install a password on my phone right now….
Woah! These tips are very helpful and informative. Just realized got tons to do with my phone. Will keep all your tips in mind.
xoxo
Pauchee C.
http://paucheecasimiro.blogspot.com/
Great tips to keep in mind at all times!
I had my phone insured with my telcoms provider for security purposes. I also ensured a phone locator app and other security software, because I’d rather be safe than sorry. ๐
GREAT tips!!! thanks.
Good tips. Sometimes I forget there are mean people out there and don’t watch my purse at the grocery store like I should. What would we all do w/out our phones and/or purse. So personal! Thanks for bringing this up…I needed to read it!
People forget how much their phones cost. Would the average person dangle 600 dollars while walking around? No.
great ideas un i totally agree with the protect your purse one i always try to put what i can into my pockets so they r close by xx
Thank you so much for this post. It is very informative and eye opening. Sometimes with the hassles of everyday life we forget to look out for dangers.
Those are great tips. I need to share them with my daughter. She is bad about setting her phone down places while she is doing stuff.
This is a great post. With the current technological times, one can never be too careful with personal information and with passwords. Thanks for the information.
These are great tips. I don’t use my cell for anything personal other than calls and text messages. I do have it password protected and never leave it in my car or anything like that.
Great ideas! I have never thought about keeping the serial number to my phone, but that is awesome. We do live in a high crime area, so we have this pedal lock thing (think The Club, but for you gas pedal) that we use.
We password lock our phones and I just stay concious and make sure I don’t set it down even right next to me!
I’ve left my phones in weird places before. I now keep it on me at all times. It works out even better since my phone case works as a wallet as well. Great tips.
Those are great tips! It is scary how much data is stolen from us. We don’t even know it sometimes. I know I am too trusting when I throw things out, but I can’t see shredding everything. I wish I had a fireplace to burn all my mail in. The storage is a great idea for your info. If I ever get a smartphone, I’ll be doing that.
Those are some really great tips. I have a phone locator on my cell. It has come in handy a few times now. Thanks for sharing all the great info. Its a lot to think about.
All great advice, and it’s always worth reminding people.
I’m nervous about being robbed as it’s not the actual items that’s now gone, it’s the personal photos and links to emails/Facebook etc that I’ll be crying about ๐
I only ever use bags with the long straps so you can wrap it over your body. So much safer, but also means you have your items in front of you, rather than draped over your shoulder or back where you can’t see
some great tips, things we might take for granted until it happens to us
Very, very good advice. There are times when being robbed can not be avoided-but taking these steps will mitigate those chances.
Great tips! We’ve had problems locally with people stealing from you while you’re pumping gas. They have also been driving behind people in the dark and flashing their lights. When the people stop, usually on dark lonely roads, they rob them! I had someone do it to me the other night. I didn’t stop! Scary!