As the wise men today say “Smartphones are getting smarter while people are getting more stupid” it’s no longer a topic of discussion that they are now part of our day to day lives whether you are a C.E.O, social media addict, busy parent or all factors combined. Your Phone is most likely to be the control center as you will be in touch with family and friends, helping you find the “Laundry Lady” in the neighborhood, and text the sweet lady you just don’t want the mother of your children to ever find out.
Emails, contacts, ”Luzinda’s profile pictures”, financial details are all just on your smartphone, so having it stolen can be completely stressing and the causes of a running stomach are most likely to show up in such a situation. These are some few tips that can help in case your smartphone has been stolen or owned by someone else. You can you Google’s Device Manager app on your Android phone or Apple’s Find my iPhone to accomplish some of the tasks below.
- Lock your Device
Mobile security features such as lock and wipe which allow you to remotely lock your device and give you a fighting chance as they stop thieves from accessing your personal data
If you are completely sure that someone has taken complete ownership of the phone then be sure to remotely wipe all the information on the phone.
- Change all your online passwords for any accounts that were linked to your device.
Change all the passwords that are associated with the different online accounts that you have these may include Facebook, Twitter, even your banking passwords as these may be used by the “thief” to trace your identity as well as use the same information to access the chamber of secrets (social media accounts) as God knows the amount of damage that can be caused by this massive data link.
- Locate your Device
Mobile security apps like Lookout, Find my iPhone among the rest can be of help in trying to locate where your phone is currently located. GPS enabled devices (Smartphones) can easily help in such a situation especially if your device does not have a mobile security app installed.
- Don’t engage the thief
Once you have done the steps as advised above and you have successfully narrowed down the location or possible areas in which your phone might be don’t try to be a vigilant taking on the guy.
Remember these guys are armed and dangerous when you find them don’t engage.
- Contact your Network Provider
Ask your network service provider to block your SIM card before it’s used for the latest big crime in city. Dialing that toll free number and talking to your carrier’s customer care nicely before she/he tells you to “stay online” will ensure that your SIM card is disabled and only re-activated after every issue has been resolved or your phone is recovered.
- Notify Police
Inform the police once your phone has been stolen as they will ask you to make a report, being sure that you will have to provide some documentations such as receipts, IMEI (INTERNATIONAL MOBILE EQUIPMENT IDENTITY) number. This will help the police to try and trace the location of your phone.
