Would you leave $500 in cash, your credit cards and driver’s license laying around on a table in your local coffee shop? No? How about your mobile phone, which houses the same type of information and possible access to your money?
It’s a parallel the Vancouver Police Department, in partnership with the Transit Police and TransLink, are drawing in a new awareness campaign they’ve launched today to bring attention to the increase in the number of mobile device thefts.
In 2012, the VPD reported 215 incidents where a cell phone was taken through some form of violence. Currently in 2013, police have had 148 thefts where a much larger number of the stolen phones were taken when left unattended at coffee shops, at the gym, in schools and vehicles.
“People don’t seem to be aware of the seriousness of the problem,” says Anne Drennan, Transit Police spokeswoman. “In transit we say that awareness is the key to combatting the problem.”
Police are asking people to not only be aware of their surroundings while travelling on transit but to treat their phones like cash. Their main message, “if you don’t watch your phone, thieves will.”
“Our main concerns are decreasing the supply of stolen phones and identification theft,” says Sgt. Randy Fincham, VPD media relations officer. “People store their banking or personal information on their phones and it’s a risk when the device is stolen.”
Starting today, posters spread out around the city, on buses, bus shelters, trains and platforms will allow users the ability to scan a Quick Response (QR) Code with their mobile device and link to a video that demonstrates the importance of keeping your cell phone securely tucked away.
This campaign comes on the heels of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWRA) launch of the International Mobile Equipment Identity Database, which is a global ID database of millions of cell phones.
As of September 30, the authorization of any wireless device on any Canadian network will include the verification of its 15-digit ID number. This verification process, which will deny service to any device that’s on the ‘blacklist,’ is designed to help eliminate the black market for stolen phones.
Customers that have had their phones lost or stolen can report it to their service provider, where it will be deactivated and added to the blacklist.
Get more information on protecting your mobile device and personal information at: http://www.protectyourdata.ca/
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