You can’t afford to have your mobile lost or stolen. New smartphones can cost $1000 or more and contain important personal and business information, which you don’t want falling into the wrong hands.
This Lost & Stolen site provides you with tips on how to protect your phone and guard against loss or theft and to be aware of potential traps of buying second-hand handsets on the web (or anywhere else) because their legal owners may have reported them lost or stolen and had them blocked so that they no longer work.
If it’s lost or stolen there are some important things to do to protect yourself from facing potentially big bills run up on your mobile.
The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) runs a world-leading anti-theft program at no cost to consumers. It works by detecting a mobile phone’s electronic serial number, known as the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, then sharing this information with carriers to block handsets across all networks in Australia.
· Who to call to report your mobile lost or stolen and have it blocked.
· Taking care when buying a second-hand mobile because it may be blocked and won’t work. Buyers beware because if the second-hand mobile you buy off the web or from the newspaper is blocked, it will only be unblocked for the original and legal owner even though you bought the phone in good faith.
· When and how to check if your phone has been blocked by your carrier.
· Taking steps to secure data and personal information by activating your mobile’s security features.
WARNING: IMEI checks only provide details of those phones reported and blocked at the time of the inquiry therefore it is not conclusive. If the owner of the phone does not report it lost or stolen, the resulting IMEI check cannot identify it as a lost or stolen handset.
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