Princeton Happenings

I am sure many have experienced losing a cell phone or, as in my case, having a cell phone stolen. While away on a business trip, I left my phone to charge in a room being used by the organization. I did leave the phone unattended, which brings me to rule #1 – DO NOT leave phone unattended! Yes, by the time I returned… someone had decided they needed my phone more than I did.

My life was gone. My contacts, my emails, my Facebook, my photos – gone. Panic set in, and the thought of some stranger accessing all my information bring me to rule #2 – create a password for your phone so strangers can’t access it! But another thought crossed my mind: It’s a smart phone, so couldn’t I just use the GPS to find out if it’s still in the hotel? No! According to my service provider, apparently they can’t risk you being the crazy ex trying to track down the one that wronged you.

In my state of shock, I kept asking, “Of what use is my phone to anyone other than me?” I would get answers like, “Well, it’s an easy way for them to make long-distance calls on your dime,” “The SD cards are worth $40-$50,” “Some carriers will activate your phone – because they don’t care where it came from – and they’re just happy to have a new service contract.” Interesting. So, if I lock my phone and remove the SD card, I may be able to eliminate two situations… but I’m still without a phone! I guess having the SD card may be a benefit.

Is there anything to deter a “would-be” phone thief? I suppose the answer is no, but with a few quick changes, you may prevent one from wreaking havoc on your phone, your email, Facebook, etc.

I started looking to the internet for answers on how to prevent this from happening and, if it should happen, steps you should take immediately. There were some helpful tips, but nothing available all at one location. So this is my gift to you.

I hope you find this of no use… because I hope you never have your phone stolen.

Prevention tips:
Never leave your phone unattended.
Create a secure code to lock the phone when not in use.
Activate a Gmail account.
Remove SD card while charging.
Register your phone with your network operator

If your phone is stolen:
Contact the local authorities to file a report (this is helpful should there be excessive charges to the phone during the time it was still active).
Contact your provider to have the phone disabled, not the account.

There are also many anti-theft programs to look into, so one may be right for you.
Some of the many I found were Gadget Trak, Theft Aware, Mobile Me, and Phone Guardian. I have no experience with any of these, so I would recommend researching further. Good luck!