phone theft – PSafe Blog

Here Are a Smartphone Thief’s 3 Dirty Secrets

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 11 May 2018 00:00:41 +0000

If you’re worried about keeping your phone from being stolen, check out the most common ways a smartphone thief will act below. One cautionary measure to take is by activating the anti-theft feature of dfndr security. This feature can track your phone if it got stolen and allows you to lock it down and stop thieves from accessing your apps or media files. Try it now:

Grabbing It Right Out of Your Hands

The preferred method for many smartphone thieves is to quickly yank the phone from a victim’s grasp. Although this may sound like a crazy idea that would never work, it’s surprisingly effective. Many people have a loose grasp on their phone and aren’t protecting it because they don’t assume someone will take it right from their hand. This also is typically done at concerts and festivals. Phone thieves will run through a crowd during a song and steal and phones that are raised above the victim’s head to record the band. So many people film or record songs during a concert so they make easy targets for phone thieves. These criminals will go through the crowd and steal phones without much of a consequence because the crowd is so tightly packed that it’s almost impossible for the victim to find them or chase after them. Keep a close eye on your phone at a music festival or event.

They’re Looking for Certain Models

You might think that a smartphone thief will grab any phone, but there’s actually phones that they prefer to steal. These phones are more valuable and will get them more money when they sell it. A phone thief will not want to waste their time and risk getting caught just to steal a phone that isn’t valuable. Some of the most valuable phone models that smartphone thieves are looking to steal are the HTC M8, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and Samsung Galaxy S6.

They Look for Victims That Aren’t Paying Attention

The majority of smartphone thieves have done this before and know who to look for. The criminals are looking for victims that are distracted or busy, and aren’t paying much attention to their phone. Be sure to keep track of where your phone is even if you have a lot going on. Never leave your phone sitting on a ledge away from your or outside of your sight.

Don’t Lose Your Phone, Use These Tips and Tricks

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 10 May 2018 23:00:12 +0000

If you’ve ever momentarily misplaced your phone, you can relate to that feeling of panic in trying to find it. Due to the amount of personal information we have on our devices, the potential loss seems detrimental – videos, photos, and messages could all possibly be gone forever. However, take a deep breath, and a few minutes to prepare your device for the worst. Here are a few tips to mitigate losing or misplacing your phone.

Start with a Powerful Software Offense
dfndr security’s anti-theft feature is a godsend if your phone is suddenly gone. In addition to providing you with the ability to locate your device on a map, you can sound an alarm to track it nearby, or even remotely wipe your device through your Google account. It’s smart to enable the feature as soon as possible, ideally before your phone is gone. Why not do so now?

Safely Store Your Phone
While this might be an obvious recommendation, the truth is we sometimes forget our phones hold precious data and become careless about safe storage. During those rare times you aren’t holding onto your phone, be sure to stash it somewhere secure. If you have a backpack or handbag, place the device inside and zipper it shut. If you choose to store your device in a pocket, make sure it’s entirely inside the pocket and that it won’t slide out. Athletic shorts are a great example of pants that seem to lose smartphones as part of their natural function.

Stay Aware of Your Surroundings
We live in a fast-paced digital world, which can cause us to become stuck in our devices. Whether you’re walking down the street or sitting on a subway train, it’s imperative to remain cautious about your surroundings. Thieves will commonly target individuals who appear unaware and ‘lost in their screens.’ By the time you realize what’s happening, a thief has already grabbed your smartphone and bolted away.

Add a Password
If you ensure that your device is password protected, a possible theft might be avoided. Some thieves carefully watch individuals to see who is genuinely present but also who has an unsecured device. More advanced thieves may not care if your device has a passcode, but still, having one setup can deter the type of thief looking to make a quick buck off a stolen phone.

Any or all of these insider tricks can help you be more conscious of your belongings and still enjoy the benefits of your digital world. Let’s be honest, there are so many!

Kim Kardashian Losing 2 Phones May Be Worse Than Stolen Jewels

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 22:50:44 +0000

Following Paris Fashion Week, Kim told officials that she was held at gunpoint around 2:30am Paris local time at a ‘private residence’ Monday morning. In addition to millions of dollars in jewelry stolen, the gunmen got away with 2 phones, sparking fear that her private information could be leaked. PSafe’s Antitheft offers an app for this very situation to erase data remotely stopping thieves in their tracks.

In a meeting with the Emilio Simoni, Senior Security Researcher at PSafe, he addressed that many things could occur when a phone is stolen, particularly when it comes to a celebrity breach. One motive may be to capitalize on the fear of leaked photos, numbers, and other sensitive information the celebrity stored on their device. Another motive may be to sell the celebrity’s personal information altogether.

The gunmen are still at large and with no leads, the reality star could face public humiliation if personal photos and information is leaked to the public.

In 2014, over 100 celebrity phones were hacked where hackers leaked nude photos for public consumption. It included A-listers, notably Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence. Many of the celebs only knew about the leak when there were reports in the media. Others took to social networks where they learned the news.

What to do now:
Stay protected. This could happen to anyone.
Download an Anti-theft to keep your Android device protected from hackers in the event of loss or theft by clearing data remotely. You may also track your phone’s location, block your phone with an access code and disable the power off menu so other people can’t turn off the device unless they know the password.