I was robbed the other day. A pair of nasty men took my cell phone right off the counter at the store. One distracted me whilst the other put my phone into his pocket. I was lucky. With the help of my friend Holly, the South Kingstown, Rhode Island Police (shout out to Officer LaFerrier!) and Bruce, I got my phone back! For me this was literally lifesaving because, as a Type 1 diabetic, I track my blood sugar using my phone. Besides the aforementioned trio, there were a couple of things that helped me get the phone back. One I had set up previously and one I did after it was stolen. I’m sharing them with you today, so you can be ready in the event of a cell phone theft. However, I hope this never happens to you.
Set Up The “Find My” or “Find My Device” App BEFORE a Cell Phone Theft
Ever since all the press came out about missing bags, Bruce and I have had AirTags in our luggage. We can track those puppies no matter where in the world they are through the Find My app, as mine is an iPhone. This same Find My app can track your phone if it ever goes missing. But you need to set it up BEFORE the phone is lost or stolen. If your phone is an android you can use the Find My Device app available through Goggle. Both these apps are free and I highly recommend them.
When they swiped my phone, Bruce immediately went on the app on my iPad at home. He could see it traveling up the interstate without me. I called the police and this tracking helped them immeasurably. Then Holly texted the phone and told the perpetrators that we had them on video and knew who they were. Next, I went on my computer at work and marked the phone “LOST” through the Find My app. This feature allows you to put in a number for anyone who “finds” the phone to call you. Because of what Holly texted about identifying them, the thieves called the number I put in. We put the police officer on the call. This was enough to get them to turn around and return the phone. They said they “must have taken it by accident.” If I believed that, I think the next thing they’d do is try to sell me a little swamp land in Florida. LOL
ALWAYS Call The Police If You Suspect Cell Phone Theft
Although the three of us were actively involved in the search for the phone, it was the police who made the whole thing work. You should never attempt to recover a stolen cell phone on your own. The bad guys are BAD guys and you don’t want to mess with them alone. The officer told us that often they will ask for money to be sent to them to return the phone and even then not return it. Your local authorities know how to handle these situations. And they are your best resource if this happens to you.
If you’re hungry for more self-help topics, check out my previous blogs like: Protect Yourself From Cyber Crimes and Signal For Help From Domestic Violence. Hope to see you at Consignments Ltd. very soon, where I’ll be keeping my phone in my pocket. LOL
