It would be a shame to smartly start out planning for avacation via a careful review of cheaptravel options such as cheap airplane tickets, cheap auto rentals, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages onlyto later have your trip spoiled because of a lost or stolen phone.
19 million cell phones are lost or stolen each year. Given that traveling places users at higherrisk for theft, it is important to know what to do if a phone is lost or stolenon a trip so that you can recover faster, protect your identity, and not losepriceless vacation photos.
The following steps should be taken as soon as you realizethat your phone is missing, according to Ashley Rossi:
Calland text your phone to see if someone has turned it in. Text or leave a voicemail, if no one answers,with your information and a number to call back. On its latest iOS update, Apple included afeature called Lost Mode that will remotely lock your iPhone with a passcodeand display a custom message on the lock screen telling whoever is viewing themessage how to contact you. This modecan also be used to suspend the ability to make payments via Apple Pay.
Usethe find-my-phone feature (available on both iPhone and Android) to help yourecover a lost or stolen phone. If youhave this feature turned on your phone, you will be able to see when your phoneis remotely by logging into your Apple or Google account on anotherdevice. You can also play a sound fromyour phone. If you have Family Sharingwith Apple, other users on your account will be able to see your phones currentlocation. If your phone is turned off oroffline, tracking is not possible.
If youare unable to locate your phone, or know that it has been stolen, you shouldwipe its data. This is the best way toensure your identity and information are protected though it means losing anydata that you do not have backed up. Phones can be wiped remotely with the find-my-phone app on both iOS andAndroid. If your device is offline whenyou perform a remote erase, the erase will take place as soon as your phone isturned back on.
Apple Users need to be aware that oncethey erase their phones, they will be unable to track them anymore. If you remove your iPhone from your Appleaccount while your phone is online, the activation lock will be turned off,enabling another person to activate the phone.
Evenafter wiping your phones data, you should proceed to change your passwords foremail and any other accounts that are downloaded on your phone. Make certain to monitor your credit cards andbank accounts for any suspicious activity.
Contactyour cell phone carrier so that it will disable your phone and data service aswell as help you proceed to get a replacement phone. Depending on your cell plan and provider,lost or stolen phones might be covered, and your carrier may potentially beable to ship a new phone to where you are staying or direct you to a localservice location.
File apolice report. Since police usually askfor a cell phones serial number, make a point of emailing yourself thisinformation every time you buy a new phone. It is important to file a police report since you may need it to protestany fraudulent charges made with a stolen phone.
Lookinto purchasing a cell phone protection plan if you travel often, particularlyoverseas. Such plans usually cover loss,damage, and theft, and offer a replacement phone within as few as 24hours. Typically claims can be processedonline.
Protectyourself against lost photos and information by backing up your phone beforeand during your trips.
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