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Thieves still targeting mobile phones

15/06/06

Nearly three quarters of young consumers have had experience of mobile phone theft, either personally or through a friend or relative.
 
A survey by Juniper Research has revealed that 70 per cent of young people have been affected by handset theft, confirming the crime's prevalence in the UK.
 
In addition, the survey brought other worrying trends to light, such as the 27 per cent of five to 20 year-olds who claim to have been the target of mobile mugging or knew someone who had been affected.
 
Nearly a quarter of youngsters also admitted to having been affected by mobile phone bullying.
 
The survey follows hot on the heels of research by Halifax Home Insurance, which found that a mobile phone is stolen every 12 seconds in the UK alone.
 
Figures obtained by the home insurance provider suggested that over two million phones were stolen last year, to the value of £390 million.
 
Andy Foster, deputy crime reduction manager at South Yorkshire Police, commented: "To a lot of people, particularly the young, a mobile phone is a fashion statement.
 
"They are proud to have the latest phone and like showing it off. Unfortunately, all they are doing is showing the local criminals the type of phone they have and, if it is worth stealing, invariably it will be stolen."
 
Mobile phone users are advised to avoid making calls while walking around and to keep their handset out of site.
 
In addition, it is important to check the details of your home insurance policy to determine whether or not it covers mobile phones against theft, loss and damage.
 
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