Before we leave the house, most of us will perform the following ritual: checking we have our wallet, keys and mobile phone. Our smartphones have become an essential part of our daily lives, whether we’re staying connected with our network or keeping on top of our personal banking and household bills.  

But our devices also contain a whole range of personal data that criminals want. And with phone thefts becoming a more common occurrence (they soared by 20% last year to record levels), phone-snatching fraudsters are getting increasingly sophisticated and have even been known to take out loans or empty their victim’s bank accounts using our stolen handsets.  

New research has revealed more than half of Brits (54%) are worried it’ll happen to them. But there are ways to help keep your device and its data safe, like switching off your message previews to keep confidential information hidden from prying eyes and keeping your device secure when you’re not using it.  

Read on to discover more steps you can take to protect your device and personal information from thieves, as well as what to do next if your phone is stolen. Stay vigilant.  

Password protect your device 

It's a good rule of thumb that the more barriers you can put in front of fraudsters, the better. Simply put, a device that requires a passcode or biometric protection (fingerprints, voice patterns, face recognition) can stop thieves from accessing your basic information at the first hurdle. 

However, what happens if your phone is snatched while it is unlocked? The same rule applies. If the front door is open, make sure all the other doors are locked. So, if your app allows it, utilising biometric features or hard-to-guess passwords for sensitive apps helps to create additional barriers that can prevent fraudsters doing further damage. 

Banking apps will often have these as standard, but many other apps that use your data have introduced them, like social media apps. Just check the privacy or password settings in your apps to see if you can activate them. 

Use different codes across your device 

Did you know that 38% of Brits reuse their phone password or PIN on other apps such as online banking? Criminals have been known to “shoulder surf” victims to obtain passcodes before swiping their phones, meaning they can break into your device’s accounts within minutes. It’s a scary thought. But utilising multiple codes helps to slow fraudsters down while giving you more time to react. 

Don’t forget: never store password details in easily accessible parts of your smartphone, such as your notes apps. It might feel secure, but it’s often the first place a criminal would look if they have access to your phone. 

Set up and switch on a SIM PIN  

Setting up a SIM PIN helps protect your mobile number and the information stored on your SIM card. Once activated, whenever you restart your device or put your SIM into another device, you’ll need to enter a PIN to unlock it. All O2 customers’ default PIN will be 0000 and will be turned off as standard. You can easily change and turn on your SIM PIN in your phone settings. 

If you haven’t already set this up this useful layer of security, it’s worth taking a pause reading this article and doing it now. Seriously. We can wait. 

Store your device’s important information in a safe place 

Writing down account information such as your Apple ID or Google account password and storing it in a safe location (that’s not on your phone!) is a crucial step in protecting your smartphone’s data. With this information, you can quickly mark your handset as lost while also remotely erasing data and deactivating features such as virtual bank cards. Plus, remember to regularly back up your device into cloud storage to help protect your data while also keeping valuable information such as personal details and photos safe. 

You should also make note of your IMEI number which is a unique 15-digit number that identifies a phone which we can then use to block your phone. It can also be passed on to the police who will use this number to return your device if they manage to retrieve it. You can find your IMEI number in three simple ways:  

• Dialling *#06# on your phone  
• Looking in your ‘Settings’  
• Looking in the battery compartment if your phone has a removable battery 

What should I do if my device is stolen? 

If your device is lost or stolen, then it’s essential you report it as quickly as possible to us. Provided you report the case within 24 hours, we’ll cap any call, data or text costs that a thief racks up, ensuring you’re not left with a hefty bill. In addition, we can cancel the SIM on the device and stop it from being used on any UK network in future – preventing fraudsters from trying to exploit your number for online verification – like when authorising bank payments. 

Fraudsters act fast – but by quickly alerting us, we can help lock down your phone and prevent them wrecking more havoc.  

It can feel very scary losing your device – and even more so if you’re a victim of crime – so try and remember to put these simple steps into place now to limit the pain of that experience. Back up as often as you can. And put as many barriers between your data and the fraudsters as possible.