There were over 740,000 victims of mobile phone theft in the UK from 2012-13 with iPhones accounting for the majority of devices lost in the capital, according to a new report from the government.
The Home Office analysed hundreds of thousands of data points including England and Wales Crime Surveys to compile its report: Reducing Mobile Phone Theft and Improving Security.
It found that although crime has fallen over 10% under the current coalition government, smartphones continue to be a source of rich pickings for thieves.
The 2012/13 Crime Survey revealed 742,000 cases of mobile phone theft – which amounts to less than 2%.
The largest number were classified as “other personal theft” (40%), which usually means the phone has been left unattended somewhere. Around a third were “theft from the person,” 11% “burglary in a dwelling” and 10% were listed as “robbery.”
Most were stolen on public transport or in a public place (37%), while 30% went missing in a bar or pub and 19% from the workplace.
As such, the research doesn’t quite tally with a recent report from mobile security firm Lookout, which claimed that the pub was the most popular location for mobile theft in Britain, accounting for 23%.
The Home Office report did reveal, however, that smartphone users in London were most likely to have their devices stolen in pubs and clubs.
That London data, which was collected by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) between August 2012 and January 2014, found that women, those aged 20-24 and iPhone users were by far the most likely to become victims of mobile phone theft.
In fact, over 50% of smartphones stolen over the period in the capital were made in Cupertino. Next came BlackBerry at under 20% and then Samsung.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however, and the Home Office recognized that manufacturers have since responded with new security features such as device tracking and lock and remote wipe functionality.
After the launch of iOS7 and iPhone 5S and 5C handsets, thefts per day apparently dropped by between 3-15 in London.
The report urged users to use PIN locks on their device; install a tracker app to trace a lost device and wipe data; never leave phones unattended; and report them immediately to the police if stolen.
It added that smartphone users should register their phone at Immobilise.com.
“This helps the police to identify you as the owner if it is recovered and allows you to keep a record of your IMEI number, which you will need if your mobile is lost or stolen,” the report explained.