Statistics show that around 88% of us don't leave home without our mobile phones. Clearly reliance on these devices means that losing one can be a real nightmare.
But mobile phones have become increasingly compact and lightweight and people often misplace them or they fall out of pockets without our knowledge. There are some interesting statistics from 2008 including: around 200,000 mobile phones were put into washing machines, around 600,000 were dropped down toilets 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 equates to around one every 12 seconds and this figure is on the increase.
When a phone is lost there is, of course, the initial financial headache of getting a new replacement. There may be significant call charges amassed during the time between when a phone is stolen and when it eventually gets disabled. Then there is the impact of lost data, especially contacts.
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. 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 can we each do to protect ourselves and our valuable data against loss or theft?
- The first thing is to make it difficult for a thief to actually steal your mobile phone. Keep it somewhere secure and don't ever leave it unattended in the car or anywhere else.
- 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. While it can be a nuisance to have to enter a PIN each time you want to use your phone this simple step will stop a thief from running up significant call charges on your account.
- Another simple step is to switch your phone to vibrate mode when in a busy public place in order to ensure that nobody else is alerted 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 phone which will help identify your phone if it is lost or stolen.
- It is worthwhile getting into the habit of backing up your SIM card data frequently. 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.
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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.
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