“Oh My God , I have lost my purse. It had my smartphone, my wallet which had cash, credit cards,Membership cards, business cards and family photos“. Last week while travelling in the Volvo bus in Bangalore in morning I  lost my purse. Losing your wallet, smartphone isn’t just an inconvenience, it could put your personal information at risk. This article is about one should do if unfortunately you land up in this situation. This article is about what I did when I lost my mobile. Article

How it happened

Last week while travelling in the Volvo bus in Bangalore in morning I  lost my purse. My shoulder bag was with me but my small red bag which had my wallet, my credit card ..was gone..as if disappeared in thin air! Person next to me offered her mobile and I tried calling my number. It just rang and rang.  I just didn’t know how someone took out by bag!  My whole life was inside that red bag, and now it was gone. I felt like crying, I felt like screaming. What if it falls into wrong hands, What if they call my family and say I am hurt,kidnapped , what if they use my credit card, what if they use my gmail, my facebook..my mind started racing. There was no time to cry over my loss it was time to act and act fast.  I started making a list of what needs to be done.

• Change password of my gmail and facebook account.
• Block the credit cards.
• Block my SIM.
• Remember if I had any official document like PAN card, Driving license in the purse. (Which thankfully I didn’t)
• Report to police

How to Change Google Password?

As I had setup my android based smartphone to send and receive email from  Gmail, I needed to change my gmail account password. Steps for which are given below:

• Login to gmail.
• Click the gear in the top right corner.
• Select Settings.
• If you’re on a mobile device, switch to desktop view for the full list of settings.
• Open the Accounts tab.
• In the ‘Change account settings‘ section, click Change password.
• In the new window, enter your current password and your new password.

Wikihow How to Change Your Gmail Password explains with pictures.

When you go to login screen you will see the message “Your password was changed X days ago”.  In order to help keep your account secure, Google sends you an email any time your password is changed. If you made this change, you won’t need to take any action.

How to Change Facebook Password?

As I had setup my android based smartphone to access facebook I had to change my password on facebook account, steps to do it are given below:

• Log in to facebook
• Click at the top right of any Facebook page and select Account Settings ((right upper corner gear shaped)
• Click on the Password section
• Enter your current password and a new password and save your changes

Wikihow How to Change Your Facebook Password shows it with images.

I also posted a message on my facebook wall about my lost mobile and how to contact me.

What’s App

What’sApp being very popular and many people use it. From WhatsApp FAQ on What do I do if my phone is lost or stolen?

As soon as possible you should call your mobile provider to lock your SIM card. Then, it will not be possible to verify the account on that phone again as you need to be able to receive SMS or phone calls to verify an account.

Next, email us with your phone number in the full international format as described here and we will deactivate your account. Please note that we are not able to help you locate your phone. Remote WhatsApp deactivation from another device is not possible.

*Important: Even with the SIM card locked and phone service disabled, WhatsApp can be used on Wi-Fi if you do not contact us with an account deactivation request.

• You can problem with creating a WhatsApp account on your replacement phone, using the same phone number.
• Since your chat history is stored on your device, we cannot retrieve your previous messages.
• For Deactivated Account : When your account is deactivated, it is not completely deleted.
  • Your contacts can send you messages, which will remain in a pending state for up to 30 days.
  • If you reactivate your account before it is deleted, you will receive any pending messages on your new phone and you will still be in all of your group chats.
  • If a deactivated account is not re-activated within 30 days, it will be completely deleted

Deactivating the mobile SIM

I waited till I had done all of above, blocking cards, changing password,hoping in case my phone is in the hands of an honest person, (s)he may try to contact someone from list (they may choose numbers stored under names like Home, Husband, Dad or just the last dialled number) to inform you that they have my phone. But after waiting for an hour I decided to call my service provider Airtel  (fearing that someone would make calls and exhaust my balance). Whom to contact was a big question?  I couldn’t find the number of googling so called 121 and got the contact number to block my SIM.

To get new SIM:

I had to go to I went to Airtel Relationship Center and after following the process got a SIM which got reactivated within 4 hrs.

• Fill in a request form,
• Attach a photograph ,
• Submit address proof (carry original)
• Pay Rs 50. ( I read somewhere on internet that it would be Rs 25 but form did not mention the amount and I didn’t have energy to argue)

Unless you have backed your data somewhere or synced it with online applications like Gmail, Google Contacts etc you cannot recover the data. I read that service provide can  provide you with the list of phone numbers to which you made calls in last three months for nominal fee of Rs 50 (but I didn’t use it. I also came to know of airtel mobile phone backup, for prepaid a service that saves all the vital and precious information at the touch of a button. Details at Airtel phone-backup )

IMEI number

My friends asked me about my IMEI number. I knew about it but had not noted it earlier (hiding behind the excuse jab time milega kar lenge not realizing that time milta nahin hai nikalana patda hai. Phone khone par maine nikala na).

The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number is an international identity number used to uniquely identify a mobile phone. The 15-digit IMEI number is an electronic fingerprint transmitted every time a phone is used, which reveals the identity of the mobile handset. Every smartphone has a unique IMEI number assigned to it and you can access it in following ways. IMEI.org What Is IMEI Number and How To Decode It explains more about IMEI number

• Dialing *#06#.
• You can also retrieve the IMEI number by removing the battery. It is usually listed on a white sticker along with the phone’s serial number.
• It may also be mentioned in the cover box which you had got when you had  bought the mobile. in which your mobile

As I had lost my android phone and could not find the pack I searched on google for help. From How To Find The IMEI Number Of Your Lost Android Device I came to know

• Whenever, you will synchronize your phone with Google account, all your data get stored in Google Server
• So, go to Google Dashboard and sign in with your email id by which you have synchronized your Android device previously. Hence, navigate to the “Android” section and then press the link that says More data stored about this device.
• After that, you will find a screen something like the following picture which includes your IMEI number.

Truth or Fact ? Cop at VSNL.net

I came across various websites which said about sending mail to VSNL.net

It says if your cellphone gets stolen you  can send IMEI number to email id  cop@vsnl.net and they will get the details of the location where there Cell Phone is located even if you have not registered the Complaint with Police and even if the number(SIM card) has been changed from the cell.

From hoaxorfact If you loose your mobile

The email id provided is of COMMISSIONER OFFICE of Chennai and if you send any email from around the Country(India) or around the World it will go there. There has been instances where the Chennai Police have solved the cases of Mobile Theft as per the Hindu newspaper report (of 2006) 53 stolen cellphones restored to owners. They might be still accepting the request of Complaints over the email but that would(in any case) will be applicable only for Particular State and not any City/State/country beyond the range.  If unfortunately you lost your cellphone, you should directly approach your nearest Police Station and follow the procedure as would be advised by them.

Complaining to Police : Lodging an FIR or DDR

Since your mobile can be misused by someone else and can lead to serious consequences( Crime Patrol how xerox of PAN card landed one it trouble). If your phone was stolen it is recommended that  you must go to the police station nearest to the place where the phone was stolen and get an FIR(First Information report) registered to report the theft. If  policemen refuse to register FIRs ,you must explain that in case of theft, an FIR has to be registered, and you would be forced to report the matter to higher authorities. The police is usually reluctant to file FIRs, especially for petty thefts, because they would be required to conduct an investigation. Do NOT settle to get just a Daily Diary Report(DDR) registered since this means the police will not be investigating into the theft. For FAQ on FIR and DDR one can read Punjab police Frequently Asked Questions

In case you think your phone was misplaced or lost, you should go to the police station nearest to the place where the phone was misplaced or lost, and get a Daily Dairy Report (DDR) registered. In case of misplaced phone , do NOT insist that an FIR be registered ,the police officer is not allowed to do so. However, the DDR can act as proof of your bona fides (good intention) in case the lost phone is misused.

Remember to take a copy of the FIR or the DDR, as applies to your case, once you have signed it.

Apps to help you find your phone if installed

There are many apps which if installed on your phone or tablet can increase your chances at finding your lost or stolen phone or tablet.(If only I had done it before) From Know Your Mobile India  top 10 ways in which you can track your stolen or lost mobile through apps and IMEI number for android phones

Android Device Manager :Go to google.com/android/devicemanager. The site will automatically connect to your phone and display a message like: “Last located at 6:42 PM; Manekshaw Parade Grounds Bus Stop, Cubbon Road, Shivaji Nagar, Bangalore, Karnataka 560001, India – Accurate to 574 meters. Last used August 14, 2013“. To locate the device, click on Ring. The device will ring at full volume for 5 minutes. You have to press the power button to stop it ringing even if you have muted it!

Mobile security: such as Avast! mobile security , Kaspersky mobile security,  Lookout security and antivirus, Trend Micro mobile security & antivirus are  security apps which provide twin security measures  a mobile antivirus and mobile tracking/controls solution. You can read more at Google Play Avast! Free Mobile Security, Kaspersky mobile security, Lookout security and antivirus,Trend Micro mobile security & antivirus

Mobile chase-location tracker :  When the SIM card is changed it sends a a SMS in 5 minutes from the new SIM number to your number, which has been stored in the application. The SIM contains GPS location data or current location code to aid in trace. Read more at at Google Play Mobile Chase-Location Tracker

Thief tracker: With Thief tracker app, you get to catch the ‘thief’ red handed. Any unsuccessful attempt to unlock your mobile will trigger this app to snap a picture from front camera and send you an email without the user even knowing it. However the app has some limitations – like it does not wipe data and an unsuccessful attempt is considered only when 4 dots in the pattern are selected. Read more at Google Play Thief Tracker

Anti- theft alaram :You just have to activate the alarm and leave your phone on the table or wherever. If someone moves your phone an alarm will sound. It can only be stoped if you enter the PIN.Read more at Google Play Anti-theft Alarm

Plan B, Lookout mobile security : This ‘find my phone’ app is the only app that you can download even after you have lost your phone.Using ‘Plan B’ requires access to the Android Market website and your Google account. After you install it, Plan B will start locating your phone using cell towers and GPS

Related Articles :

• Cyber Crime : Credit Card Fraud,Bank Account Hacked
• Say No to Fake, Yes to Original

Losing my wallet, my mobile made made me feel extremely vulnerable, about how much our wallets really mean to us  and how much we stand to lose? Did I miss something? Did you also loose your mobile,wallets. Have you any mobile security installed on your mobile?Please share your experiences and tips in the comments.