Mobile Phone Theft - Be Prepared

Many of us have a story about phone theft, whether that’s because your device was snatched or it happened to someone you know.

Some 78,000 people reported having their phones or bags grabbed in the year to March 2024, according to government figures. Hotspot areas are often train and bus stations.

Here’s what to do if your phone is stolen and how you can reduce the risk.

The Best Insurance Is Preparation And Prevention.

The Metropolitan Police advise using your phone for the shortest possible time on the street and avoid texting while walking.

Criminals often use bikes or mopeds when snatching devices, so watch out for any nearby when using your phone and stand away from the roadside.

Use Robust Phone Security And Know Your IMEI Number.

It’s best practice to use a keypad lock or biometrics like fingerprint or facial recognition so thieves cannot immediately access your phone. You can set up a PIN for your SIM card too. This stops criminals from using the SIM in another phone.

Make sure you know your International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number - the 15-digital number used to identify your phone. This is much easier to get if you still have your phone. Type *#06# into your keypad or go into the settings app.

If Your Device Is Stolen, Try To Access Your Phone Remotely.

You can try to access, lock and even shut down your device remotely on a laptop, tablet or using another phone. Different manufacturers use different systems, but they all operate in a similar way.

1. iPhone - visit iCloud.com/find or open the Find My app on another one of your Apple devices.

2. Android - visit android.com/find or open the Find My Device app on another one of your devices.

3. Samsung - visit findmymobile.samsung.com and sign in with your Samsung account.

You can also use these services to track your device remotely. Its location can then be shared with the police to help them recover the phone.

Alert Your Network Provider So They Can Block The Phone.

These are the people who you pay your phone bills to. Tell them your phone was stolen and, ideally, give them the IMEI number. If you don’t already know this, you can sometimes find the number on the box the phone came in, or by using online services like Find My Device. UK network operators can stop a stolen phone from working across their networks with its IMEI.

Remember, if your phone is stolen you may have to pay the cost of any unauthorised calls or text. Some providers cap these costs at £100 outside of your phone allowance - but only if you report your phone as missing within 24 hours, according to advice from Ofcom.

Let Your Bank Know.

They can disable payment methods like Apple Pay or Google Wallet and suspend banking apps.

In some cases, victims who went to the police but didn’t alert their bank have lost thousands of pounds after their phone was stolen. For example, Niall McNamee, a musician and actor living in London, had his phone stolen on the London Underground and two days later discovered about £21,000 was taken from his accounts.

Report The Incident To Police.

You can do this by calling 101 or going in person to a local station. You can also report the crime anonymously via Crimestoppers.

Give the police your IMEI number as it can help them track down the device.

It’s worth reporting the incident even if you think it’s unlikely the phone will be recovered, as you’ll need a crime reference number if you want to claim insurance and it helps build a picture of where crime hotspots are located.

Change The Passwords To Your Accounts And Apps.

This is particularly important when it comes to online banking and accounts containing sensitive information, like your emails.

It’s also worth changing the passwords for your social media, shopping apps and subscription services like Netflix or Spotify.

Contact Your Insurance Company.

If you have mobile phone insurance, call their claims line when you have your crime reference number.

If you don’t have separate mobile phone insurance, Money Saving Expert recommends you check whether the phone is covered under any home insurance policy.

BBC Website: Written by Rosemary McCabe

Is it just Me?

Sometimes I really do wonder whether it’s just me that gets affected by things like this. No matter what I order, almost invariably something seems to go wrong even if things are apparently extremely straightforward.

I recently placed an order for an item, a not inexpensive item, and there was a choice of models which I believe was very straightforward, in essence the item was available in either green or blue. I placed my order, I spoke to the company on the telephone, I even e-mailed them and throughout these communications the fact that I wanted the item in green was made plain.

I waited about 8 days for the item to eventually be delivered in two large packages. I’m sure you can imagine that I was a touch disappointed to read, emblazoned across the outside of the box, the word NAVY. Trying to be charitable I opened the box to make sure that the contents matched the box and was met with a large blue bag, still hopeful I opened the bag and the contents were, blue.

I really do despair that something which is apparently this simple can still go wrong and I fear for the future for us all.

Discovering Cyberduck: An Easy-to-Use FTP Client

A Clever Duck Indeed

Recently, I found myself increasingly frustrated with the process of downloading files from Google Drive for burning to disk. Google often compresses files into ZIP folders and even renames some of them, leading to endless confusion. Determined to find a better solution, I did some research and discovered Cyberduck—a highly recommended FTP client that seemed to address my exact needs.

Cyberduck is a libre server and cloud storage browser available for both Mac and Windows. Its user-friendly interface allows seamless connections to servers, enterprise file-sharing platforms, and popular cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox which is ideal for my purposes. This makes it incredibly easy to download, upload, and manage files without the usual headaches associated with cloud-based storage systems.

Despite the software now costing just over £20, I decided to give it a try—and I’m glad I did. Cyberduck has made the task of downloading and organising files for burning much more efficient. It integrates smoothly with various services, enabling me to bypass the issues caused by Google’s compression and file renaming. Given my recent investment in M-Disk format 50GB and 25GB disks, the convenience Cyberduck provides is well worth the expense.

Installing Cyberduck is straightforward, especially for first-time FTP users. Simply double-click the downloaded icon, and the application opens, ready for use. There are no ads, promotions, or plugins required, ensuring a clean and streamlined experience from the start.

Once opened, the main interface displays a central panel showing your local or remote directory, with essential tools and settings conveniently located at the top. Quick links, including bookmarks, recent connections, and Bonjour—Cyberduck’s WebDAV auto-discovery feature—sit on the left side, just below the Open Connection icon. This icon is key to connecting with your desired server or cloud storage service.

Other useful features include the Action icon, which offers file management options, and the Refresh icon, which updates the display to show any recent changes on the server. The Edit icon allows for direct file modifications with auto-upload enabled, ensuring that any changes are instantly saved. If you prefer a personalised workspace, you can even customise the toolbar by navigating to the View tab and selecting “Customize Toolbar.” Adding the Upload, Download, and Transfers icons can further streamline your workflow, I also added the Delete icon to allow me to quickly and easily delete files once downloaded.

Ultimately, Cyberduck has transformed how I manage my cloud storage and file transfers. What began as a search for a solution to a frustrating problem has led to the discovery of an efficient, user-friendly tool that simplifies the entire process. If you often work with cloud storage or FTP transfers, I highly recommend giving Cyberduck a try—it might just save you as much time and frustration as it did for me.