How to protect your iPhone from being stolen

How to protect your iPhone from being stolen

Over the years we have heard dozens of stories about our customers iPhones being stolen. There are a variety of ways a thief will target a potential victim and it can be anything from an obvious snatch and grab to more cunning ways. Here are a few stories,  methods, and ways to thwart thieves from stealing your device.

Customer iPhone Theft Attempt #1

One of our adult female customers was walking in a major mall in our area in the middle of the day when two high school aged kids came up to her. They walked up and grabbed her arm and tried yanking the phone out of her hand. The woman screamed, ended up dropping the phone (hence why she was in our shop) and the kids ran. She noticed that it was more than just those two kids involved and actually a pack of kids waiting at the end of the mall wing for the other kids to come back with the phone.  Once they realized the gig was up they all started running different directions through the mall.

What you should do for this type of phone robbery attempt

It is our suggestion that you alert as many people as possible as quickly as possible. In this case the lady screaming shocked and scared the teens into letting go and running off. Once people are aware of the situation most thieves will take off the other direction to avoid any additional confrontation.

 

Customer iPhone Theft Attempt #2

This attempt deals with high school and college students as the target. Student walks into classroom to find a friend he knew from some other classes. Another student who was friends with his classmate walked up to the victim and started a brief conversation in which he asked if he could borrow his phone to make a call. The victim said yes. While the other student used the phone his classmate began talking to him. While his classmate was talking to him the guy using the phone left the classroom. A minute later the victims classmate also left the room. The two of them never returned back to class and the victim ultimately lost his phone.

What you should do for this type of phone robbery

We seem to hear a lot about snatch type robberies of iPhones. We suggest, and although it can be considered a heartless reaction to someone in need, is to not lend out your phone to someone you don’t know. Thieves don’t care about you, they care about the dollar signs they see you holding in your hand. If you must lend your phone out make sure to do it in a public place and don’t get distracted or walk away from the user.  It’s nice to think there are some moral people in the world, not everyone is a thief looking to steal from you. Use your best judgment, just tell them you’re not comfortable lending out your phone. Better yet, if they are really in need make the call for them and put it on speaker while you hold the phone.

Customer Robbery Attempt #3

This was both a funny and quite real story told by one of our customers. The victim was walking into a Deli and while entering the establishment he pulled out both his phone and wallet.  As he was about to enter the store someone approached him and smoothly pulled both his phone and wallet out of the victims hand. The victim in a panic wrestled with the thief and was able to retrieve what he thought was everything. The victim proceeded to run across the street in a panic. He then went to call the police when he realized he only had his wallet in his hand and not his phone. He looked across the street to see the thief waving at him, “Hey did you forget something.” The victim realized the thief still had his iPhone. He started to chase after the thief and ended up following him into a local apartment building. He was able to call the cops through a concerned citizen. The cops waited outside the building for 3 hours when finally the thief came out and they arrested him.

How to prevent this type of robbery attempt

Our suggestion in this type of event is to not flash your stash. Keep your personal belongings out of site if possible. Use your phone in a well populated area or take it somewhere private. Thieves look for unsuspecting victims. Keep your phone and wallet in your pockets, use a Bluetooth headset if possible.

 

Here are five General Safety Measures for protecting your iPhone, iPad, iPod, Samsung Galaxy, Laptop, or other valuable devices.

• Stay aware of your environment – Don’t walk around flashing a nice phone in a questionable area
• Don’t lend out your phone to someone you don’t know
• Use your iCloud and Find my iPhone apps on your iPhone – This will help track the device if it is stolen.
• Don’t leave your phone on the table! This includes restaurants, bars, at someone’s house you don’t know well, in your car, in a bag that is unattended, your jacket, or even a school locker. Use common sense. A thief will most likely act when you don’t expect it.
• Use a passcode on your phone to protect your data. You can at least stop a thief from getting any information off your phone with a simple passcode.

If your Device happens to get stolen

• Contact local authorities
• Track the phone if possible
• Look around for any witnesses
• Spread the word quickly in the area
• Contact your phone carrier to alert them of the theft

Stay educated – We all know that phone theft is a big problem worldwide. Stay one step ahead by protecting your assets.  If you happen to run into an issue where your phone breaks during a theft then we are always here to help. Visit repairsharks.com for more information.

These are just a few examples of what types of theft can occur. We have many more stories to share, look forward to future posts! Please always remain careful when dealing with any type of robbery attempt. Going vigilante on a criminal can backfire. Don’t try to fight off a criminal. No device is worth risking your life.