What your mobile says about you

Posted in 'Identity Theft' by Richard Catlin

05 March 2009

The ever-increasing role that mobile phones play in our day-to-day lives is making it much easier for identity thieves.

Long gone are the days of simply talking on the phone. Most new generation mobiles now allow users to browse the internet, send and receive email, and even bank online. As a result, more personal data than ever is stored on our phones.

Around 125,000 mobiles are left in London taxis alone each year and hundreds of thousands more are stolen. This is in addition to more legitimate markets for second hand mobiles, such as eBay.

There has also been a surge in the popularity of mobile ‘recycling’ websites that pay cash for unwanted handsets. Many people simply don’t realise that most of these phones are refurbished rather than recycled and then sent to Africa and Asia – hotspots for identity fraudsters.

Whilst wiping the memory of your phone completely is difficult, there are some basic steps you can take. First, remove any SD cards or other removable memory devices - don't send them with the phone. Remove the SIM card. You should also delete the phone's internal memory using the ‘Restore Factory Settings' or 'Clear Memory' functions. If in doubt, have a look at your phone handbook if you still have it. If not, search online, or ask your local phone shop to do it for you.

Without careful monitoring, you may well be completely unaware that your identity has been stolen – until you are unexpectedly turned down for credit, or contacted about a debt that isn’t yours.

For peace of mind, monitor your credit file and protect against identity theft with checkmyfile, at the UK’s lowest prices.

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