Last year, 3.1 million Americans had their smartphone stolen. Kids & teens are the highest risk target for mobile theft, with youth age 14-24 more than twice as likely to be victims of mobile theft, often by their own peers (in some instances as a new form of bullying). One in five kids age 8-16 in the US have had their phone stolen, and that’s just not ok. Especially given the increasing level of violence associated with these thefts.
Mobile theft is not just the theft of a mobile device, for most it involves more than just picking a device off a table or pickpocketing it. For most, mobile theft involves violence or threat of violence: it’s robbery.
6 Ways Teens Can Avoid Phone Theft
An ounce of prevention goes a long way. Set up your phone with optimal security, including Absolute LoJack, from day 1. Then go over this list of how to avoid mobile theft – you’ll be happy to know that many mobile thefts are avoidable!
- Keep those phones away in public – As tempting as it is to kill time on your phone, having it out is even more tempting to thieves, particularly in high risk areas like on transit or in cafes or, particularly for youth, on the street. Ignore messages and calls until they are somewhere safe (like in the back of a store, away from exits, inside a school, or in a private area).
- Have a secure place to store your phone – a pocket, an interior zipper of a backpack or purse. If you don’t have any of the above, we suggest under the waistband of your pants.
- Stored away doesn’t mean you’re off the hook - so don’t go leaving that purse or backpack unattended. Don’t leave it on a chair or at a park. Keep those bags hand or between your feet or under the supervision of an adult so that they don’t get snatched.
- Schools are not risk-free. Ask your school if they have a safe lock-up for phones, particularly during times when lockers are not available (gym, exams, etc).
- Take out the earbuds and turn off the ringtones – if you’re hiding your device but still using earbuds or buzzing with alerts and ringtones, you’re still advertising that it’s in your pocket. Turn the phone to vibrate or set a special tone for important calls.
- There is no ’safe’ place to leave a phone unattended – even somewhere like libraries or cafes where there are lots of ‘witnesses,’ most of the time that’s not enough to prevent theft. Don’t ever leave a phone unattended, not even to use the washroom!
Thefts still happen, it’s the sad truth. Thieves know that most youth now have phones, so even well-prepared youth may be approached. Youth need to know what what to do after a theft – and that’s not to fight back. Role playing may help here, so kids understand to give up phones and contact police immediately.
Let Absolute LoJack keep you safe. We’ll give you ways to protect your data and do all the legwork to help recover your phone for you.