UK Lost & Stolen Mobile Phones
Info» Mobile Phone» UK Lost & Stolen Mobile Phonesby immobilise.com.
Sunday December 24th, 2006 03:11 AM
What to do if your Mobile phone is Stolen -
If you mobile phone is lost or stolen then it is important to notify the correct people to ensure that the Phone can be
barred from making unauthorised calls. This section highlights the steps to take for UK residents and also provides a link
to the Immobilise campaign that has been launched by the mobile phone industry and the Metropolitan Police supported by the Home Office.
Their message is simple : stolen phones don't work anymore.
Deactivating a lost or stolen Mobile Phone
1. You call your network, service provider or 08701 123 123 and explain what's happened to your phone. The network will immediately deactivate your SIM card to prevent unauthorized calls being made.
2. Your network will also identify a recent phone call made by you on your phone to determine the unique IMEI number of the mobile phone. (The IMEI is located on a strip normally located behind the battery of the handset. You can also find it on most handsets by pressing the keys *#06# when it will be displayed in the handset window.)
3. This unique IMEI number is then entered onto the networks' central database, deactivating your lost or stolen mobile on the network.
4. Each day deactivated IMEI numbers are shared across every network through the central database so they are rendered inoperable across every network. So, even if your SIM card has been changed, your lost or stolen handset will no longer work.
5. You should also contact your local police station, or the police station nearest to where the theft or loss took place, and inform them of what happened.
6. If you have mobile phone insurance, you should also contact your Insurance provider to report any loss of theft.
7. The net result: the end of the line for mobile crime.
Stolen Mobile Phone Statistics
Crime statistics show that in the UK:
Mobile phone stolen every three minutes in UK.
Average age of thief is 16
Up to half of phone theft victims are under 18
Crime statistics show that in London:
In half of all street robberies, a mobile phone is stolen
In two thirds of those robberies, a mobile phone is the only item taken.
Fourteen- to 17-year-olds are the age group most likely to be victims of street crime.
Useful UK Numbers for Stolen Phones:
Orange: 07973 100150 (contract) or 07973 100451 (pre-pay)
Vodafone: 07836 191191 (contract) or 08700 776655 (pre-pay)
O2: 08705 214000 (contract) or 08705 678678 (pre-pay)
T-Mobile: 0845 412 5000
Virgin Mobile: 0845 6000 789
Please note that these details are provided for information purposes and may change. If in doubt then always contact your Network Provider directly for the latest contact numbers regarding lost or stolen Mobile Phones.
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