If you lose your mobile phone or it is stolen, you are likely going to feel stressed, upset, angry or helpless. The good news is that there are plenty of steps you can take to make things easier, though a lot of them need to be done before you lose your phone for best effect.
Find your IMEI
You need to do this before your phone is stolen. The IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, is a special code that specifically identifies a handset. It isn't affected by what network or contract you are on, or what SIM card you are using. The IMEI is enough for a network operator to block a phone from working. It can also confirm the handset is yours if the police later recover it.
You may find your phone's IMEI on a sticker underneath the battery. However, the easiest way to find it is to simply type in the following five characters: * # 0 6 * (that is, star hash zero six hash.) Your IMEI is then displayed on the screen. If you are using a smartphone, you need to do this with no apps running, as if you were dialling a phone number.
Make some calls
You need to report the theft both to the police and to your network operator. Honestly speaking, there may be little prospect of the police recovering a stolen phone, but you should still make a report of it and get a crime reference number, if only as a formality.
You should then contact your network operator as soon as possible. Policies vary, but generally you won't be held liable for any calls or other expense incurred on the phone after you've reported it as stolen. Having your IMEI handy may speed up the process of getting your phone blocked.
Insurance issues
There are several specialist mobile phone insurance policies that can help out with a lost or stolen phone, both offered by networks and independent firms. Whether they are worthwhile varies from case to case. Before getting a policy, check exactly what it covers. Remember that if you don't get a handset replaced, you will likely still be liable for monthly payments for the rest of your contract, though you may be able to cancel early for a fee.
You should also check whether your existing home contents policy covers mobile phones. They should be covered if stolen from your home and some policies cover losses outside of the home. The main drawbacks is that contents policies often have both a high excess fee for each claim (perhaps £50 or £100), along with a limit on individual items that may be more than the value of the phone. Remember also that such policies usually only cover replacing the handset and not any associated costs.
