The first 24 hours are crucial to recovering your phone and, above all, securing all your data, they say from the mobile phone operator.
The disappearance of most of the restrictions has generated greater mobility throughout the country and a more significant number of robberies and theft of mobile phones: in the centre of cities, on terraces or in nightlife areas.
For this reason, we want to share the steps to follow if your mobile has just been stolen or lost.
1. Try to Locate It
If it is not a robbery with violence or intimidation, the first thing is to call the phone number. On some occasions, it is not a theft but that we have accidentally dropped it or left it in a place where we had been. If so, chances are they will take your call and get your phone back without too much concern.
You can use Google’s Find My Device, which will let you know the exact location of your device. If you are nearby, you can play the sound of your phone, lock it or erase the data to prevent access by thieves.
You will have to connect to the Google account linked to your mobile to do this. In the case of IOS devices, you can enter Find my iPhone and enter the Apple ID of your mobile to know its location.
If you do not hear the sound of your device, if you already know the location, it is best to call the police and inform them of both the theft and its location.
2. Suspend the Line
If the thieves quickly turn off your phone, you will need to lock the SIM card and suspend the phone line to prevent them from accessing your data and files. All operators have a telephone number or private areas on their web pages to carry out these procedures.
The priority is to do it as soon as possible. If the thieves manage to enter the device or do not have encryption on our mobile, they will have access to all kinds of data: credit cards, images and personal files or access to our social networks.
Movistar points out that the line can be suspended by calling 1004 or from their website.
It is essential to have the phone’s IMEI saved. You will need to provide a unique identifier to suspend the line.
If you get your phone back, you can unlock it by calling your carrier again.
3. Report the Robbery to the police
Once you have secured your data, it is best to go to a National Police station to file the corresponding complaint. You can also call 902 102 112 if there has been a robbery with violence or intimidation.
In the complaint, the police will need the brand of the terminal, the model and, of course, the IMEI. In this way, thieves will no longer sell the mobile phone in second-hand stores but will have to disassemble the device and sell the parts.
It is essential that the complaint is filed within the first 24 hours and that if your mobile phone is insured, you inform your insurer of what happened.
4. Notify Family and Friends
If pickpockets gain access to your social networks or our contact list, they may try to carry out scams from your mobile phone. Therefore, it is not superfluous to notify family and friends of the theft to prevent them from falling into some scam or fraudulent call.
5. Change Passwords and Delete data
This is the last step to secure your data. Change the passwords of all the accounts you had on your mobile phone: social networks, emails, banking apps and apps where you had your credit card saved.
Foresight, the Best Measure Against Theft and Robbery
Unfortunately, we usually realize this when our phone has already been stolen or stolen, but there are several ways to minimize the damage.
Please do not leave the mobile phone in visible places, such as in the back of the pocket, with the bag open or leaving it on the table of a restaurant or cafeteria are some of the main tips.
In the case of personal data, there are mobile apps that make regular backup copies of your mobile and upload it to the cloud so that you can recover the data in the event of theft.
The most advisable thing regarding the economic issue is to have mobile insurance. In the case of Movistar, mobile insurance covers theft and theft of the phone and up to 1,000 euros of fraudulent calls if they are made from the stolen terminal.
Finally, having the IMEI of the mobile saved helps speed up procedures with mobile operators to block and report to the police.