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Crime Prevention message – Phone Theft and Security

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On this month’s Crimecall, Sergeant John Fitzpatrick was in studio and provided Crime Prevention information in relation to Phone Theft and Security.

The theft of a mobile phone can impact on a person’s life on many levels. Firstly, it’s an expensive piece of technology which can be costly to replace. It also serves, not only as a phone and our main point of contact, but very often the key to a lot of personal data that we use every day – banking, bills, sentimental photos, school and college information, and even the weather.

Statistics:

During 2024, over 5,850 mobile phones were reported as stolen with an approximate reported value of over €3.33million*

So far this year, over 1,100 phones were reported as stolen with an approximate reported value of over €770,000*

The average value of a reported stolen phone has increased year on year.  So far this year, the average value is over €650*

A high proportion of mobile phone thefts from the person incidents can be linked to night time socialising, with Saturday and Sunday appearing to be the days with the highest level of activity, with the hours of midnight to 3am and 4pm to 7pm being the most common times. Nearly 20% of all theft from person incidents took place between 4pm on Saturday and 4am on Sunday - (11% taking place between 11pm on Saturday and 3am on Sunday). In 2024, nearly 75% of mobile phones reported stolen were in the Dublin Region, with a similar figure being recorded for 2023.

A high percentage of mobile phones are also taken during theft from vehicle incidents.  These incidents occur mostly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This crime type is mostly opportunistic with peak hours being between 2pm - 4pm and 7pm - 9pm.

Some basic tips to keep your phone safe:

  • Register your mobile phone with your Service Provider.
  • Take a careful note of your unique 15 digit mobile phone IMEI number.
  • The IMEI number will be on the original box or located on the back of your phone underneath the battery, or you can locate it by dialling *#06# on your keypad, screenshot the series of barcodes and email it to yourself).
  • Enable the PIN Security feature and or biometrics option and keep your phone locked when not in use.
  • When out and about, keep your mobile phone out of public view, be streetwise and always be aware of your surroundings.
  • Property mark your phone with unique personal letters or numbers.
  • Avoid making calls or texting on your phone while crossing the road.
  • If making or receiving a mobile phone call in public, always do so with full awareness of your surroundings so that you can reduce the opportunity for the phone to be stolen.
  • If you a have a smart phone, consider downloading a location finder App.
  • Consider disabling airplane mode in the quick settings menu (swipe down) or control centre.
  • Your smartphone may be vulnerable to cyber threats, consider downloading an official mobile security app to protect against potential viruses and other malware.
  • If your mobile phone is lost or stolen, immediately report it to An Garda Síochána and contact your Service Provider in order to have your IMEI number blocked, so that it can’t be used.
  • Never leave your mobile phone behind in an unattended vehicle.

Theft from Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (M.P.V.) is one of the most prevalent incident types relating to mobile phone theft. Never leave valuable items in your vehicle. In order to mitigate against the risk of theft from your vehicle always lock and double check the security of the doors and windows. You should remove all valuable items from your vehicle. However, if you must store valuable items in the vehicle consideration should be given to enhancing the locking systems and installing a GPS tracker. Park under streetlights or in a secure carpark and park where there is CCTV, when possible.

QR Codes:

Reports have been received recently regarding QR code scams occurring, particularly at parking locations. An Garda Síochána would ask the public to be cautious when scanning publicly placed QR Codes that divert you to a website for payment.

Below are some advices from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for you to consider when scanning QR Codes:

  • Has the QR Code been tampered with? Is the QR Code tamper proof, such as behind a glass panel or on a digital display? Is it a sticker? Is there a sticker placed over the original?
  • Use a trusted QR Code scanning app that can warn or block against suspicious links.
  • Look at the preview in your QR code scanner or browser. Does it match the official website?
  • Fraudsters will often pressure you into acting quickly, like as asking for payment to avoid a fine or avoid service disruption.
  • Manually enter URLs instead of scanning QR Codes leading to payment sites, use a secure connection.

Further information can be found here on the NCSC website.

Mobile Phone Banking Apps Security:

  • Make sure you use two factor authentication on your banking apps, this will reduce the chance that even if the phone is stolen while in active mode there will be a further security layer, hopefully preventing the criminals from accessing your funds. This usually takes the form of a personal question or a biometric print from your finger.
  • Always avail of the updates for the apps in settings as these often improve the security features and may further protect your data.
  • Never use public wifi for banking, either use your own service provider or wait until you can use a secure wifi network.
  • Consider a physical record of your passwords so that you can still access your apps and data if your phone is stolen or lost. But this record should be securely stored.