Phone theft on the rise - Don't be a victim!

The Daily Mail reported recently on a video that has been released of a victim having their phone snatched from their hand by a hooded mugger on a bike.

The incident happened in Islington in June and it took a matter of seconds for the opportunistic criminal to grab the phone and disappear before the victim even knew what had happened.

 New figures show a total of 9,751 mobiles were stolen in thefts or robberies last month - a 64 per cent rise on the number stolen in the capital in December three years ago.

In December 2009 there were 5,915 offences and in December 2010, there were 8,078 offences committed.

Scotland Yard has launched a new advertising campaign to warn Londoners of the risks of phone and jewellery snatches.

They want to alert the public to the fact that thieves are often just opportunists. One advert showing a mobile phone reads: 'I see easy cash so I run up to him and grab it from his hand',

Police say they are dealing with a 20 per cent increase in the number of snatches and thefts of mobile phones in London - around half of all phones stolen are Apple iPhones.

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Letchford, the crime lead for the Met's street policing operation, said: 'We're trying to make people think differently with this campaign - having your personal possessions on show gives robbers a chance to make easy money.’

He added: 'Just being conscious of where you are and being careful about when you display your valuables can help you avoid being targeted. '

It is thought that the stolen phones are then sold in batches abroad or on sites such as Ebay and Gumtree.

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