Tip Center - Stolen Phone

Here are some things you can do to reduce the risk of losing you phone, damaging the phone and phone theft:

• Use a phone clip or leash to keep your phone attached to your jeans or belt.
• Don't leave your phone unattended clear sight, even when locked in a car.
• Carefully consider what information is stored on your mobile phone and put a password protect on the phone, this way if it does fall into the wrong hands your important data can not be accessed.
• Install phone location software in case the phone is lost or stolen.

Reporting A Stolen Phone

A common question asked is, "What should I do if I have a stolen phone?"

1. First thing to do for a stolen phone is to discontinue service immediately. Many times a stolen phone is used to make calls then discarded when the service stops. There is no limit for charges occurred before a stolen phone is reported, this is why it is so imperative to suspend the service as soon as the lost or stolen phone is discovered to be missing.
2. Report the stolen phone to the police. It is important to report the phone theft the police and get an official police report not only avoiding call charges but for insurance purposes, stolen phone statistics and possible recovery of the phone. The police will generally want the name of the service provider, the make and model of the stolen phone, and the stolen phone electronic serial number, so be sure to write this information down upon puchase of the phone.
3. Provide the police report case number to the service provider and insurance provider if it applies. Upon reporting the phone stolen to the service provider, the rightful owner of the stolen phone can no longer be held accountable for any additional charges.

Remember, the best defense for a stolen phone is a rapid response.

Recovering a stolen phone is a stressful and time-consuming process. The situation, however, can quickly be rectified with patience and help from the authorities. Here are some steps to follow to help recover a stolen phone:

• Retreive the receipt and paperwork for stolen phone.
• Obtain the IMEI or serial number for the stolen phone. If unsure how to obtain this, refer to the phone's manual for information on where to locate it.
• Call your service provider to get the original SIM number.
• Inform the police of the stolen phone and file an official police. Be sure to keep a copy of all paper work provided.
• Call the service provider to inform them of the phone theft, send them a copy of the police report and request to be contacted if an attempt to activate phone occurs.
• Keep your original phone number.
• If someone attempts to insert a SIM card in the stolen phone, the service provider will be able to get the information and contact you. The stolen phone should then be able to be located by a joint effort of the service provider and the police.

Tracking software for stolen smart phones:

• iPhone
• Blackberry