Statistics show that around 88% of us don’t leave home without our mobile phones. Reliance on these incredibly popular and useful devices means that losing one can result in some serious headaches.

Increasinglly compact and lightweight mobile phones mean that they are easily lost, misplaced or fall out of pockets. There are some interesting statistics from 2008 including: around 200,000 mobile phones were put into washing machines, around 600,000 were dropped down toilets and 55,000 were left in the back of taxis.

We must also consider the very real possibility that a phone may be stolen. In the UK alone more than 2 million mobile phones are stolen each year. This means that 1 mobile phone is stolen around every 12 seconds and this worrying trend is on the increase.

If a mobile phone is lost there is the initial financial headache of replacement. There may be significant call charges amassed during the time between when a phone is stolen and when it eventually gets disabled. Then there are the problems that will arise as a result of losing contact details and other valuable data stored on the mobile phone.

It has been found that fewer than 1 in 5 people who rely on their mobile phones go to the trouble of routinely backing up their phone data. Although modern phones come with software that makes it simple to transfer data to a computer still people don’t take advantage of this simple facility.

So what can we each do to protect ourselves and our valuable data against loss or theft?

1. Firstly, don’t make it easy for a thief to steal your mobile phone. Never ever leave your phone unattended in your car and always store it securely.
2. Make certain to record the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number from your mobile phone. This is a number that is unique to every mobile phone and can be used to disable a phone if it’s been lost or stolen.
3. You might like to configure your phone to only work after you have entered a PIN. This can be a bit of a nuisance but it will prevent a thief from running up substantial bills on your account.
4. Another simple step is to switch your phone to vibrate mode when in a busy public place in order to ensure that nobody else is alerted when your phone rings.
5. You might consider labelling your mobile phone by engraving your name and car registration details onto your phone and its battery. An alternative is to use a system for attaching unique serial number stickers (as provided by trackitback.com) to your phone which will help identify your phone if it is lost or stolen.
6. It is worthwhile getting into the habit of backing up your SIM card data frequently. If you are adding new contacts and appointments every day then you should be backing up your mobile phone data every day.
7. Finally, make certain that you have some mobile phone insurance that provides the protection that you need. There are differences between various mobile phone insurance policies so be certain to read the small print and ensure that the policy suits your requirements.

Hopefully you and your mobile phone will not become one of the future lost or stolen statistics.

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You may also like to protect your income with income protection and don’t overlook the need to protect other devices with some useful gadget insurance.