Smartpone muggings on the rise in London

The Evening Standard reported yesterday that 170 iphones are being stolen every day in London with pedestrians being targeted by muggers on bicycle.

Ellie Buchdahl, 24, a graduate from Stockwell was one such victim, “I was texting with one hand when I came to a crossing,” she told the Standard. “I looked up to check if there were any cars and started to cross when a man on a bike cut me up, nearly knocking me down." He cycled off but the thief quickly doubled back, grabbing the iPhone 4S from her hand. “I chased him up the street in my Ugg boots shouting ‘Stop thief’ but there was no way I could get him, he was going too quickly. “You have everything on your iPhone. Your Twitter, Facebook, Email. I had just sent an email to a visiting friend telling her my address. I was terrified the thief would see it. With iPhone a lot of your stuff is in the cloud. So that’s good. But the thought that this person could access all of my information- It just feels so invasive.”

Police are now issuing warnings to pedestrians around hotspots such as Tube stations where the number of muggings has rocketed in places by up to 400 per cent in a year.

In recent weeks police have handed out leaflets around Warwick Avenue tube station while there have also been reports of spates of bicycle muggings in Primrose Hill, Islington, Stoke Newington, Chancery Lane and Clapham.

In London police have even been issued with iPads so they can use satellite-tracking apps to trace stolen handsets.

It is important to stay aware of your surroundings at all times. If you are texting or focused on your phone it is easy to miss any warning signs that you are in danger.  Try not to use your phone while you are walking around, especially in busy areas or by the side of the road. Thieves are opportunists- so don’t give them the opportunity!

Your phone should be password protected; and always make sure that you log out of online accounts such as your email and Facebook.

It is also a good idea to invest in an alarm that will alert you if someone tries to remove your phone from your person without you realising- this is especially usefull if you commute and are travelling on a busy train everyday. One in six of those who have had a phone stolen say it was taken from their bag or pocket. Make it difficult for thieves to remove your phone from your person with the Mi-Zone 2-way proximity alarm.  The Mi-Zone works with your handset or tablet and can be attached to anything you consider valuable or worth protecting. You can choose from 3 security settings: Low, medium and high, depending on the range of the security zone you wish to create and as soon as your belongings move outside of the selected zone, a flashing alert and audio alarm will be activated on your screen. Just keep your Mi-Zone tag by your side or in your pocket, and it will alert you when your handset or tablet is moved away from you.  You can also use it to locate missing handset/tablet by pressing the button on the tag for 10 seconds and, as long as it is in range, the alert will activate on your phone or tablet allowing you to pinpoint its exact location.