If you live in Philadelphia, Seattle, or Oakland you better keep tabs on your smartphone, because according to Lookout, those are the top three cities for smartphone loss/theft. Not to mention Micro-Max.com says that 113 smartphones are lost or stolen every minute in the U.S. alone. Kinda makes me want to physically connect my phone to my body at all times!
According to Lookout, the top 10 cities for smartphone loss and theft are (per capita):
- Philadelphia
- Seattle
- Oakland
- Long Beach
- Newark
- Detroit
- Cleveland
- Baltimore
- New York
- Boston
And where do people lose their phones most often?
- fast food restaurants
- drugstores
- grocery stores
- coffee shops
- office buildings.
Here in Vancouver we’ve been experiencing a spate of smartphone thefts (darn you iPhone 5, how cool you look). Here the tactic is for someone to ask to borrow your phone…then run off. Borrow my phone? Are you kidding? There have also been several thefts where a thief grabs your phone from you on the train right as it’s coming to a station and run off. This quote from Vancouver Police Constable Brian Montague really drives the point home doesn’t it:
“It’s like waving five $100 bills in your hand, be aware of your surroundings (and) that you’re holding a very expensive item. They’re easy to resell. They’re a hot commodity for thieves.” — Vancouver Sun
Stephen Ebbett President of gadget insurer Protect Your Bubble says this:
“Smartphone owners are a huge target for thieves, especially during the hectic, holiday shopping season,” said Stephen Ebbett, President of Protect Your Bubble, noting that recent Protect Your Bubble data reveals that 86 percent of its policy holder’s reported claims are related to loss or theft.
“With the holidays right around the corner, Protect Your Bubble wants to educate and remind consumers about the risks involved with owning costly mobile devices. It’s important to not only insure the new devices consumers purchase for themselves, but also any gadgets they purchase as gifts for friends and loved ones.
Check out (share) this infographic that tells the whole story:
So, keep your phone close and make sure you at the very least have Find My iPhone activated on all your devices. How do you protect your devices?
