An increase in robberies against people in 2022 is recorded by the Attorney General’s Office, with more than 31,000 complaints, 6,000 more than the year before. One of the items stolen in these robberies, in addition to documents and money, is mobile phones.

Now mobile devices have become of great importance as they collect personal information such as banking applications, social networks and more.

Mobile phone theft: how to prevent access to banking applications

Therefore, more attention should be paid to the information we store on mobile phones, as well as actions that prevent personal information from being disclosed.

In the event of a robbery, the most important thing is to take care of your integrity, as criminals can have weapons and shoot you if they see any resistance.

Device locks

Either for the convenience or the use given to the phone, many people choose not to put any kind of screen lock. That is, with just the touch of a button you can access the main menu or contacts.

It is advisable to have a security mechanism in place, either through PIN, fingerprint, face scan or pattern. One more than the other can give the just robbed perpetrator a headache.

I reported my cell phone stolen so they could block it

However, this will not be enough, since one of the strategies also used is to remove the chip and place it in another device with the aim of accessing their bank accounts, WhatsApp among others. With different phone models you have the option to set a safety pin.

To implement it, you must go to the Settings / Configuration menu and go to the Security section, there you will see the option to activate the pin lock.

After the theft, contact your operator to block your line and get a new chip as soon as possible to be able to change the passwords of bank accounts, emails, social networks and other applications.

Currently there are more apps that work with two-step authentication, where you can send a text message to your mobile phone with a code.

Delete device data

The operating systems the phone works with have options to track and locate the devices, through a previous registration.

In Apple’s case, you need to enter Find Devices on iCloud.com; on Android, enter Find My Device at android.com/find.

Please note that the information on the SD card will not be deleted and the device still needs to be turned on to perform the action.

Report the phone theft to the banking entities

The implementation of different security mechanisms in banking entities has resulted in different keys performing different transactions that need to be generated on phones, especially in their apps.

If your telephone is lost, Banco Pichincha indicates that you must report this via your telephone bank (022-999-999) to the Bank Emergency option.

Banco Guayaquil, on the other hand, indicated that you need to call 043-730-100 and enter your ID number, in addition to choosing option 2 Product Blocking, where you can block your cards and access virtual banking.

Aspects to take into account

The Public Prosecution Service allows the declaration line of robberies and robberieswhich requires you to enter the stolen object and its value, as well as how the events took place and if you have evidence, you can also state where the events took place.

As soon as the registration is completed, you will receive an email with the appointment to recognize the signature and thereby formalize the complaint.

Operators also have various insurance policies that restore value in the event of device theft. The monthly price of the insurance is tied to the cost of the equipment, so it can range from $3 to $24.

It is also important to have the IMEI of the equipment as it can be retrieved by your operator at the time of blocking for theft.