Losing a phone is frustrating.
But when that phone contains your SIM card, mobile-money account, banking applications, WhatsApp, email and personal photographs, losing the device can become much more serious.
For many Zambians, a stolen phone can potentially give criminals access to more than contacts and photographs.
It can also become a gateway to financial accounts.
That is why knowing what to do immediately after losing your phone is important.
Act quickly
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The first priority should be securing your mobile number and financial accounts.
Contact your mobile network provider as soon as possible and follow its official procedure for blocking or replacing the SIM card.
If you use mobile banking or financial applications, contact the relevant institution and ask about securing the account.
Do not wait until the following morning simply because you hope the phone will somehow return.
Never share your PIN
Your mobile-money PIN should remain private.
If someone contacts you claiming they have found your phone and asks for your PIN to “verify” your identity, do not provide it.
The same applies to verification codes, one-time passwords and other security information.
A legitimate organisation should not require you to casually disclose confidential security credentials.
Secure your email
Many people forget about their email account.
But email can be extremely important because it may be connected to social media accounts, cloud storage, banking services and password-recovery systems.
If you lose access to your phone, use another trusted device to change important passwords where necessary and review account-security settings.
Protect WhatsApp
If your WhatsApp account is linked to the stolen SIM, recovering control of the phone number and following WhatsApp’s account-recovery process can be important.
You should also enable additional security features such as two-step verification where available.
Remote-lock the phone
Modern smartphones often provide tools that allow owners to locate, lock or erase a device remotely.
These features are particularly useful when activated before the phone disappears.
A screen lock is also important.
Using a PIN, password or biometric protection makes it more difficult for someone who finds or steals your phone to immediately access its contents.
Do not confront the thief
If your phone location appears on a tracking service, do not attempt to recover it yourself by confronting a suspected thief.
Share relevant information with the police or appropriate authorities.
Your safety is more important than recovering a device.
What about your photos and personal information?
A stolen phone may contain photographs, identity information, private conversations and work documents.
That is another reason to use device encryption, strong screen locks and secure cloud backups.
Avoid keeping highly sensitive information in easily accessible locations on your phone.
Prepare before disaster happens
The best time to prepare for phone theft is before it happens.
Make sure you know:
How to remotely lock your phone
How to locate your device
How to contact your mobile network
How to access your important accounts from another device
How to change important passwords
Where your important documents are backed up
A few minutes of preparation can make a major difference when a phone suddenly disappears.
And perhaps the most important lesson is simple:
Your phone may be replaceable. Your money and personal information may not be.
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