Lost and Found

LOST AND FOUND THE CHALLENGES OF FINDING YOUR LOST OR STOLEN PHONE With an estimated 96% of the U.S. population using cell phones, it is clear that cell phone loss and theft is a significant issue for consumers today. 36% 96% of people who lose their phone contact their phone operator first. Of these people, the average cost to resolve the issue and replace the phone is Warning: Your contacts are hard to place a pricetag on. Say you have more than 50 contacts on your phone, without having a place to back them up, they will be lost forever if you lose them. You don't want to have to create $125. another Facebook group asking your friends for their contact information. THE TOP 1O U.S. CITIES FOR CELL PHONE LOSS OR THEFT ARE... (By what percent of the city's population has experienced cell phone loss/theft) 40% 6 Chicago 49% D TOP TEN CITIES 2 New York 41% 369 5 Sacramento 9 Philadelphia 44% DO 10 3 Los Angeles 52% 41% 39% 36% 1 Miami 37% 4 Phoenix 10 Tampa 7 Dallas 8 Houston THE 10 WORST PLACES TO LOSE YOUR PHONE Without an app that locates your phone, the chances of recovering your lost phone are slim. See what your chances of recovery are in these various circumstance. 10 PURSE RESTAURANT/BAR Like losing your glasses on the top of your head, losing your cell phone for a short time in your purse is frustrating. Locating the lost phone is easy, but remembering where you placed it may take longer than you think. This is one of the most common places for cell phones to be lost, left behind or accidentally switched with someone else's device. Thankfully, busboys and servers are usually good about chasing you out the door--sometimes even across the parking lot--to deliver your forgotten personal items. CHANCE OF RECOVERY: CHANCE OF RECOVERY: 95-100% 80-95% 8. ROOF OF YOUR CAR CHANGING ROOM With new laws across the country banning handheld cell phone use while driving, it is more common for Bluetooth headset users to carry on a conversation until they get disconnected and see their precious mobile phone slide off the back of Cell phones are often left behind in department store changing rooms. The phone either falls out of your pocket, is left on the bench, or is accidentally stuck in one of the nine pairs of pants you tried on. In this kind of situation, your mind is usually on other things--and it's easy for the phone to be overlooked. the car. CHANCE OF RECOVERY: CHANCE OF RECOVERY: 25-75% (Depending on where it lands, if you remember before it falls, and if you have insurance) 0-15% (Depending on whether you can suck up long enough to get it back) AIRPORT SECURITY SCHOOL In addition to having to take off your belt and shoes and send your phone through the security scanner, you could also be selected for a more thorough search of your belongings. You may not realize you have lost your phone in the process until you hear While there are numerous locations around a school that phones can be lost in, such as locker rooms, lockers, bathrooms and classrooms, in most cases there are lost and found stations where students or teachers can turn in your name over the airport loud speaker. found items. CHANCE OF RECOVERY: CHANCE OF RECOVERY: 50-100% (Depending on how much time you have before your flight leaves. If you don't immediately retrieve it from security, it is destroyed) 15-75% 4 3 BUS OR SUBWAY AIRPLANE There's a good chance you will never get your phone back. Your best bet would be to cancel your service and get a new one, because stolen phones on the subway is an all-too-common scenario. That, and your phone will quite possibly be used to make long distance calls that will cost you hundreds of dollars. After the captain has you power down your phone, you may stow it in the seat pocket in front of you. Bad decision, because there is a good chance that while you were in a hurry to catch your connection you left your phone behind. CHANCE OF RECOVERY: CHANCE OF RECOVERY: 0-15% IDepending on whether you were traveling in first class) 0-2% SWIMMING POOL It happens more often than you think. You forget that your phone is in your shorts or swimsuit and dive right in. Or, friends get a hold of you with your clothes on, with keys and phone in your pocket--and toss you in. TAXI Who doesn't play games, text message or talk on the phone while in the back of a cab? It is very possible that you may set it down on the seat next to you and while rushing out the door to your destination, forget all about it. CHANCE OF RECOVERY: 50-75% CHANCE OF RECOVERY: CHANCE OF IT EVER WORKING AGAIN: 0-50% IDepending on how far you traveled and how honest your taxi driver isl 0-5% (Depending on whether it's waterproof) PROTECTING AND LOCATING YOUR LOST OR STOLEN PHONE Now that you understand the various ways cell phones are lost, don't let it happen to you again. Downloading a Find My Phone App can help you track down your smartphone from a computer or another smartphone. With an app like Lookout Mobile Security, you can view your lost or stolen phone on a map and sound an alarm on your phone so it can be tracked down or found by someone near it. Additionally, with a security app like Lookout, you can remotely lock your phone to ensure no one can access it or completely wipe your phone and delete all personal data from it. Location tracking services allow you to track down your GPS-enable smartphone from any Internet source. 54% of all smartphone users do not password-protect their phones. alookout SOURCES: mylookout.com cellphones.ca shopphoneservice.com ctia.org norton.com MOBILE SECURITY