If you lose your mobile
phone, or have it stolen, not only do you have to deal with
the inconvenience of not having your phone, but you could
be paying for someone else?s calls!
PREVENTION
Prevention is better
than cure.Reduce your phone?s
appeal to thieves and assist in its recovery if it is lost
or stolen:
1)
Treat your phone as you would any valuable item: Even if
you got your handset as a $0 upfront deal?, this does not
reflect its true cost. Handsets are expensive - they can
cost more than $1000.Be discrete.
Keep your mobile on you. Never put it down in a public place
or leave it unattended.
Switch to vibrate mode in circumstances where a ring tone
might attract the attention of a thief.
2) Use your
phone?s security features: Your phone has security features
which you can use to stop others using your phone for example,
you can set a Personal Identification Number (PIN) number
which must be entered before anyone can use the phone. Read
your handset User Guide to find out what features your phone
has and use them. Even if your phone isn?t stolen, someone
might be tempted to borrow your phone and make a few expensive
calls without your knowledge.
3)
Name it: Some form of personal identification on your phone
can deter the would-be thief. Consider engraving your initials
on your phone and the battery, and ? if you have one also
including your driver?s license number.
4)
Know your IMEI: Every mobile phone has a unique 15-digit
electronic serial number, known as the International Mobile
Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Record your phone?s IMEI
number and keep it in a safe place in case your phone is
lost or stolen. You can check your IMEI number by dialing
*#06#.
5)
Insurance: Don?t assume your phone is covered in your (or
your parent?s) home contents insurance. Check and consider
insuring it separately, if necessary. Remember that even
if you got the phone for ‘$0 upfront?, this doesn?t
mean it was free it means the cost was absorbed in the overall
contract price. You may not be able to get a replacement
phone for $0 upfront.
LOST OR STOLEN
If your phone is lost
or stolen:
6)
Notify your network carrier AND the police immediately in
the event of loss or theft. Tell them your IMEI number and
any other identifying features on your phone (e.g. engraved
initials). Your carrier can use this number to block your
phone from all networks once you report the phone lost or
stolen, making it useless to any thief. Importantly, this
also ensures you?re not paying for any calls made by the
thief. If the handset is subsequently found, the IMEI block
can be easily removed as long as you can prove you?re the
original, rightful owner of the phone.
