What to Do When Someone Snatches Your Phone | And 5 Preventative ways to Stop it From Happening Again

Today I'm going to share some notes and research from my recent experience of having my phone stolen. I was casually walking to the gym, blissfully texting away when someone came from behind on an electric bike and swiped my phone from my grasp. I felt the rough abrasion of his firm grasp, obviously kitted in gloves perfect for the job in hand. 

Without thinking I leapt into a black cab and told him to chase down the bike and a high speed pursuit ensued through Clapham Common. 

Ok that didn't happen. What did happen was I gave chase for all of 5 seconds before I gave in to the futility. The guy was gone and out of sight. Maybe if it was a pushbike then I could have stood a chance. Not even the T-1000 would have caught up with this guy. 

So what do you do when someone snatches your phone? 

Chances are that if you're on your phone when you're being robbed, the phone will be unlocked and the assailant would have access to all your stored data. 

Now I was running, I was running home desperate to try and source the location through the track my iPhone feature on my iMac. Within five minutes of the phone being stolen the fugitive had disabled the tracking feature. At this point even if the phone is offline, report it as stolen and erase the phone on icloud. This means that IF the phone comes online and connected to the internet at anytime after the phone has been stolen, your data will be erased.

I guess in some ways thats a good thing because the chances are he has just turned off the phone and therefore locking it and your data is safe(ish). I personally think these thieves are after the value in the phone hardware and not the data it holds. I could be wrong.

Once home there was a race to reset all the passwords for my Apps, social media, Online banking etc. But everything is now using two factor authentication and I use the Authenticator App, guess what ‘on my (now stolen) phone. My secondary backup to this is two factor authentication via text (oh wait I dont have my phone!). So, I dashed out to my local Vodafone store, reported my phone stolen and got a new SIM card there and then. I then headed home to put that SIM card in my girlfriend Tuula's phone, enabling me to get authentication codes via SMS to log in to my various accounts and change ALL my passwords. It is worth noting here to make sure you save all BACKUP CODES which are displayed when you setup the Authenticator logon to any website. I use a secure password database for this.

Luckily all my photos are uploaded to the cloud and I've since bought another phone with smaller memory. But what are the best preventative measures for stopping people snatch your phone? 

First off you can find some great advice on the MET POLICE website. 

1. Just be mindful of your surroundings. When you're texting and walking or on the phone, you are leaving yourself wide open. If you're using MAPS to try and find a location you are also more susceptible. Keep the phone close to your chest and walk closer to the wall rather than by the roadside. Use handsfree with Air pods or wireless headphones.

2. My phone was snatched in broad daylight so be on your guard no matter what time of day. Have a built in tracker for the phone that is hardware, not software. Have you heard of TILE? Here is a quick blurb from their website. Lose your phone? Use any Tile, like the ones on your keys or wallet, to make your phone ring. Just double press the Tile logo button (on Sticker, button is on the side). It works even if your phone is on silent.

3. I wish I knew about this product beforehand. A wrist lanyard and neck lanyard with matching phone tether lasso. It is ideal for those looking to keep only the essentials. Also prevents constantly dropping the phone.

4. I was actually out running when I had my phone pinched. (Although paused and walked to send a text). If you're a runner then how about a discreet belt to hide your phone in. Check out this one from Wandershine for under £20.

5. You can also dial *#06# and the IMEI number will appear on your phone’s screen. Save it and send it to yourself for future reference. You can remotely block access to your phone by calling the manufacturer with its IMEI number and telling them it’s been stolen.