Tip Center - Stolen Cell Phone

The first thing to do when a cell phone is stolen is to call your cell phone provider, report the cell phone stolen and cancel the cell phone service immediately. By doing so, you prevent others from using the phone and creating additional charges. The cost of international calls can add up fast, and your cell phone provider may come after you to pay the bill.

If you have the IMIE number, your stolen cell phone's provider may be willing to block your account details. This will prevent the thief, or buyer of the stolen cell phone, from using the phone on another network.

(Step 1) Go to the police precinct where the cell phone was stolen to report stolen cell phone.

(Step 2) Upon arrival to the police station they will provide the appropriate paperwork for cell phone theft. Enter all the information possible including serial number, where and when the cell phone was stolen.

(Step 3) Once the police report is completed, the police will provide you with a stolen cell phone case number. Keep this number as you may need to reference it later for recovery.

To report stolen cell phone on Stolen-Property.com is easy and free!

1. Start the process by clicking "Register" at the top right of the web site.
2. Upon completing and sending the register form an activation email will be sent to the email provided.
3. Go your email account, find the email from Stolen-Property.com (be sure to check in bulk, spam, etc.) and click the link within the email body to activate the account.
4. Click the "Log In" link at the top right of Stolen-Property.com, enter your email and password in the log in form and click the "Log In" button.
5. Click the "New Listing" button on the main navigation bar to navigate to the "New Listing / Report Stolen Property" page.
6. Now click "Electronics" then "Cell Phone" and enter as much information as possible including serial number for search on Stolen-Property.com.
7. Be sure to leave "Post on Stolen-Property to internationally report as stolen" selected and click "Submit."

It's that easy! The cell phone is now reported stolen on a global data base of stolen property. A world of difference in recovering the stolen cell phone...literally.

Yes, there are still honest people out there. I once found a lost cell phone, called my phone with it, got the phone number, called it and left a voice mail for the person to recover the phone. This was a success! A very nice woman met me at a restaurant, retrieved her phone, bought me lunch and brought me a box of chocolates. Also try calling the phone, sometimes if a person found the phone they will answer it if it rings and tell someone where the phone is. This being said - these things should be done in a timely manner with consistent checking to the service provider to ensure no one is simply using the phone for personal gain. When it comes to a lost or stolen cell phone, let's hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Most cell phone companies sell additional insurance that help cover the costs of a lost, damaged or stolen cell phone. If you purchased the phone with a service contract this insurance can significntly help if you need to replace a lost or stolen cell phone. Report the cell phone stolen to your cell phone provider immediately. Homeowners and/or rental insurance providers may also cover loss for theft of a cell phone, and should be contacted. Don't simply take an insurance company's word, if they deny coverage. Read the policy / contract.

There are several websites, which report to be able to track a stolen cell phone online. Some are free and worth a try. However, when you report a stolen cell phone to police you will be have the best access through the police, to locate your stolen cell phone. Make certain your cell phone has been stolen, and not simply lost or misplaced, before contacting police.

If you are fortunate enough to be reading this and are not a victim of cell phone theft, then program your cell phone to display your email address on start-up. This will make it easy for the person who finds your cell phone to return it to you. In other words, you might report a cell phone stolen to police, only to have it returned a few days later when the person who found your phone calls people listed in your phone and finds an alternative way to contact you.

Several cell phone manufacturers and providers allow you to lock your phone with a pin #. In the event, the cell phone is stolen this will give you time to report the cell phone stolen to your cell phone provider and to police, before the thief can make expensive international calls using your stolen cell phone. The cell phone provider is, of course, also interested in taking measures to prevent stolen cell phones from being used in ways which cost them money so speak to your cell phone provider about cell phone theft prevention and ways to protect yourself in the event that your cell phone is stolen.

Several companies provide software to track a stolen cell phone, especially smart phones like Droid and iPhone. This software allows the victim to stay in control of their phone with remote contact. Some of these anti-theft cell phone software solutions include GadgetTrak and Theft Aware.