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Met Police urges phone manufacturers to fix security issues fuelling thefts in the capital
Phone manufacturers are being urged by the Metropolitan Police to fix security issues fuelling thefts in the capital.
It comes as new analysis published by the Met found thousands of phones stolen on the streets of London are being shipped abroad.
New data* obtained by the Met shows that:
- Of a sample of more than 4,000 iPhones stolen last year, the details of which the Met passed to Apple, 70 per cent had an activation lock enabled and 84 per cent subsequently connected to Apple’s network.
- 80 per cent of these were reconnected overseas, with the highest proportion in Algeria followed by China and as far afield as Nigeria, Russia and Brazil.
The Met is working hard to tackle phone theft and is calling on Apple and Google to block devices reported by users to them as lost or stolen from re-connecting internationally to their cloud services, preventing re-use anywhere in the world and therefore deter thieves.
It also wants manufacturers to make the IMEI number of a device visible when the device is locked to make it easier to identify stolen devices and return them to their owner.
Commander Owain Richards, from the Metropolitan Police, said: “We are determined to tackle the scourge of phone thefts. We are increasing patrols in hotspot areas and using technology to identify perpetrators and will do all we can to bring them to justice.
“However, this new data shows that thousands of phones stolen in London are being used abroad, highlighting a clear flaw that is allowing organised crime to make millions from thefts in the capital. That is why we need industry to step up and play its part by increasing security on these devices.”
As shoppers flock to London for Black Friday sales, the Met is sharing advice to phone users on what they can do to protect themselves from theft.
People should keep a close eye on their belongings when in busy areas, keep phones in a zipped pocket, and take simple steps to protect themselves from further fraud if their device is stolen:
- Activate device security features including ‘Find My Phone’ and stolen device protection in ‘settings’
- Ensure they have a strong password and two-factor authentication
- Turn off message previews so thieves cannot see any messages about reset or log in codes when phones are locked
- Write down and safely store their phone’s IMEI number. This can be found by dialling *#06# from an unlocked device.
- If your phone is lost or stolen notify Apple or Google via their device finding services.
The Met is also reminding victims they should report their phone as stolen as soon as possible to maximise the chance of catching the perpetrator, too often thefts are reported hours or days later.
In the coming weeks officers from the Met will meet with leaders from the phone industry to renew their call for them to step up their efforts to tackle thefts.
*Analysis by the Met of 4,177 stolen Apple handsets showing post-offence activity. This is the Met’s own analysis following thefts reported to the service. The Met is working with Apple to better understand the data.
