Prevent phone snatches
Don’t leave your phone, iPad, tablet or camera unattended, out of your sight, or left on a table. Thieves can grab a phone from a table in seconds.
Be aware of your surroundings and who is standing close to you
Don’t stand on the edge of the kerb with your phone in your hand. Many phones are taken by thieves riding past on bicycles. Important to remember when you are looking for a taxi home.
Can you stand in a doorway to make your call, write to your friends or book a taxi? Using a wall to shield you when you use your phone makes it less likely to be snatched.
Use ear-buds or a headset! Keep your phone tucked away especially if the call will be a long one.
Only use your mobile when it feels safe to.
When you’ve finished using it… put it away.
Table and Bars
Don’t put your handbag/ rucksack on the floor or hang it from the rear of a chair. Many bars have “Chelsea” clips or hooks underneath them. Hang your bag there it will stay clean and dry and also you can keep it within sight.
Zip it up ! Pick pockets and bag dippers are known to work in Shoreditch. A zipped up bag makes the job a lot harder
Distraction thefts – Don’t leave your phone, wallet, laptop on a table. It is easy to distract you while another thief leaves with your belongings.
More personal safety advice for Shoreditch visitors
Help – my phone has been stolen !
Contact your bank
Many people have their phone connected to their bank via Apple or Google Pay. It is important you access your account and also your bank to disconnect both. Most debit cards have an emergency phone number printed on the rear that you can call to speak to a bank fraud team.
Or during the day walk into any branch of a bank.
Secure your phone
Use your phone’s security features to stop someone using your phone if it’s stolen. Choose a strong PIN, passcode, password or pattern.
Get your IMEI number
Get your phone’s IMEI number by typing *#06# on your phone keypad. Keep a note of it somewhere other than on your phone. The IMEI can help track the phone down if it’s lost or stolen.
Use a tracking app
Set up a tracking app on your phone so you can see where it is from another device like a laptop. Use it as soon as possible, before thieves have a chance to disable it.
Turn off message previews
Turn off message previews, so that thieves won’t see any messages about reset or login codes when your phone is locked.
Make sure you can still access your data
Make sure:
- your phone data is regularly being backed up, either automatically over wifi or by plugging it into a computer
- there’s somewhere else you can get access codes sent to (two-factor authentication codes) to access your data from another device
- you keep important information like family and friends’ phone numbers and passwords somewhere else secure, not just on your phone
Help setting your phone up
See your device’s help pages for help with device location tracking, account recovery and message preview settings.