Money-saving maestro Martin Lewis has issued a critical warning to mobile banking users amidst a worrying spike in street muggings. During his latest ITV programme, Mr Lewis felt compelled to address the audience due to a noticeable increase in phone thefts, which can lead to bank accounts being swiftly drained.
As the UK experiences a surge in such crimes—with London reporting a staggering 40% rise—Mr Lewis emphasised that thieves are targeting more than just the physical handset, which alone can be worth up to £1,400.
Mr Lewis urgently advised: “Now the crucial thing, they’re not just trying to nick your phone, some of them are trying to access your financial data from your phone. You have to protect yourselves on this, folks.”
He proceeded to share five essential tips for safeguarding one’s financial information:
1/ He recommended utilising remote tracking applications like Apple’s Find My, Samsung’s Smart Things Find, and Google’s Find My Device to pinpoint a stolen device and halt any transactions
2/ He stressed the importance of activating biometric security features such as face ID and fingerprint ID, not only for the phone but also for banking apps. Mr Lewis added an extra caution for those who prefer PIN codes, saying: “If you’re not going to and you’re a pin code type person, please, different pin code for the phone and the banking apps, it’s called shoulder surfing these days. People look over your shoulder to see your pin code, and then if you’re doing the same for both, they can access your money.”
3/ To retrieve your IMEI number, simply dial star #06# on your device, then take a screenshot and save it. Mr Lewis emphasised the importance of this step, stating: “That is what you’re gonna need to get to the police if your phone is stolen. That’s roughly what it’s gonna look like, screen grab it and assume. You can access your email not just on your phone. I would just email it to yourself so you’ve got a copy somewhere. It’s #06# try it on your phone, literally on your phone number. I know it sounds weird, but that’s what happens. Let’s get rid of that.”
4/ Disabling ‘preview notifications’ is crucial, according to Mr Lewis, who believes it could be one of the most vital tips. He explained: “I think this is possibly the most important one. So loads of people, you know when you pay for something, they send you a code on your phone, second factor identification. Many people have that appear on their lock screen, so when your phone’s locked, the code still appears. You don’t want that, it means someone takes your phone, they can get the code and there’s like an easy way to. So what you need to do to stop that is turn off your preview notifications. It will still tell you you’ve had a message, but it won’t give you the code on the message. You do that in your settings. Everybody please do that one. It’s a nightmare if you’ve not done it.”
5/ Examine your phone’s supplementary security features. He advised: “And finally, if you’ve got time, check out your phone’s extra security. Protections, lots have them. iPhone has stolen protection, so if you’re in an unfamiliar location to pen a card, you’d need to use biometrics and there’d be a one hour delay on changing your settings. Android has theft detection lock, which means if your phone is moved quickly, it locks the screen. All of those things are important. There are thieves who want to access your finances by your phone. It is growing, it is dangerous. Protect yourself, please please people.”
