Public warned over rise in smartphone thefts

Smartphone owners are being warned about a rise in thefts after figures show almost 8,000 phones were stolen in Dublin in the first six months of last year.

Most of the phones were stolen during the day when people were walking along using them, said Councillor Gerry Breen, chairperson of the Dublin City joint policing committee . “Stories of stolen smart phones abound and the ordeal for victims is considerable,” he said. The committee is to publish a leaflet alerting the public to the theft of mobile phones.

Gardaí have appealed to people to keep an identifying number – known as an IMEI or International Mobile Station Equipment Identity – so that if their smartphone is stolen it can be disabled by their operator, even if a new sim card is used. Many smartphones contain the number in the information section of their phones or it can be obtained by entering *#06# on the keypad.

Just 15 per cent of phone owners had their IMEI number available when they reported their phone stolen last year, said Chief Superintendent Michael O’Sullivan of Pearse Street Garda Station.

He said people should be aware of “the need for personal safety when using your mobile phone in public, the importance of recording your IMEI number and alerting your service provider to block the handset if lost or stolen”.

Gardaí are running Operation Aughrim in Dublin which is aimed at preventing and detecting mobile phone related offences and getting stolen phones back to their owners.