For many years now, we have all known to have a PIN to lock our smartphones so that the data (and our money) doesn't get stolen. With modern phones, there are biometric protections - where you use your fingerprint or your facial image to lock and unlock the phone.
Quite safe right! Well yes, unless you are standing in a public place where someone can whiz past on an electric bike or scooter, snatch the phone out of your hands while you are using it, then quickly change your passwords, pins and biometric information and then take all your stuff!!
This excellent (free to read) article from the Financial Times explains how it works. A perfect location is when you are standing outside a public transport hub - having just arrived, checking your emails, working out directions, or waiting to get on public transport.
There is also a large scam ring who watch over you putting your PIN in, then knick your phone and just use the PIN and then change the PIN - we all need to be very wary using your devices in public places, I can see how easy it would be to watch people and work out what PINs they are putting in.
https://www.ft.com/content/26be349d-4717-4815-a221-a749e29de2b2
The negative possibilities scared me, so I did some research on how to protect myself. here are some links that I recommend that you look like to understand how you can block your phone if it is stolen, and how you can change some of your settings so that your PIN is needed to change things like biometrics.
Lock or erase your lost phone or computer- all types of devices
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/7177579?hl=en
Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-nz/120837
About Stolen Device Protection for Iphone (I have done this) : https://support.apple.com/en-nz/120340
Theft Protection Lock for Android:
https://support.google.com/android/answer/15146908?hl=en-GB
Another suggestion that I will be taking up, is that if you are travelling to somewhere where it is possible that this crime might occur - look at making your payments on a SmartWatch (if you have one), or using an old fashioned card (eg a Wise Card).
If you have any more suggestions that we can share with our clients, please let us know!
