Mobile phone theft in use, then lockout and bank account drainage: some defences to note.

[Richard G]

A salutary tale from London in our Melbourne daily newspaper. A young man on the street ordering an Uber has his phone snatched form his hand. It is still open and with 2FA by SMS the thieves get into his bank account and transfer the funds, max out his credit cards buying vouchers, and send SMS's to his mates to send money as his phone has just been stolen and he's stranded. It has a happy ending. He'd taken out a £15 insurance on his phone and got a new one in 24 hours, and, most crucially, his bank covered the unauthorised transactions. And he was able to repay his mates.

****Cleverly, his secondary email to regain access to gmail which the thieves had locked him out of, was not an email of his, but his mother's. The confirmation to change details for his primary account was therefore through his mother's email and invisible to thieves. Brilliant.

****Finally, I don't save my banking password anywhere, so they can't get into my banking app. Face ID is good protection for password use, but I don't risk even that for crucial passwords related to money. Makes me think a back up iPad Mini is a good thing to have and quickly access the banking app and stop the cards. I'm now thinking of downloading banking apps for multiple banks as a fall back. Might take them a while to pick the right one....

****The advice in the article is to keep guard over your phone and don't have it visible unless in use. As we know with camera thieves, they pick their mark. But so often now we use the iPhone as a camera. Problem: it's up in the air, extended arms, no strap, and light and easy to remove and run. And we are concentrating on something else at the time. Best then to always use the camera from the lock screen not from some current internet session, and don't chimp till in safe territory.

 

[chuckroast]

I have no financial apps of any kind on my phone and never have for this very reason. No banking, no pay applications, no investing apps...nothing.

 

[mdarnton]

I just read a similar story yesterday with more steps for security:

 

[Zuiko-logist]

This is a regular occurrence in many places including London. The ideas above seem very sensible.

Speaking from experience, please do not leave a phone in a back pocket, in view or hold it in your hand when walking.

Step into a shop doorway or face away from the street near a wall if you need to order an Uber or use the phone on the street. The thieves operate by bicycle or e-bike and will be out of sight within seconds but need space to be able to get to you and the phone. Deny them that space.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

How about holding phone firmly?

Quick banditto theory on e-bikes made me 😀.

 

[Zuiko-logist]

Those e-bikes are modified by removing speed limiters and can do much damage if they hit you. But that is not the idea - bike or e-bike onto a pavement and then away in a second before you have realized what has happened.

 

[Merlijn53]

Sounds like an urban myth to me.
Even if your phone is open, you need face detection or a pincode to get to your banking apps. Same for your passwords.

 

[Freakscene]

Sounds like an urban myth to me.
Even if your phone is open, you need face detection or a pincode to get to your banking apps. Same for your passwords.

It is absolutely not an urban myth. Some banking apps do not need a code and a lot of people save the passwords in their keychain or other password management program, which autofills the details if the phone is open. In the US and other places where firearms are common, a current tactic is to knock pedestrians or cyclists down, hold them at gunpoint and force them to hand over their pin.

Be careful, even in places where you may not expect that this could happen.

 

[wlewisiii]

It is absolutely not an urban myth. Some banking apps do not need a code and a lot of people save the passwords in their keychain or other password management program, which autofills the details if the phone is open. In the US and other places where firearms are common, a current tactic is to knock pedestrians or cyclists down, hold them at gunpoint and force them to hand over their pin.

Be careful, even in places where you may not expect that this could happen.

They wouldn't like finding themselves shot first before they could even demand said info from me here, since I have a CC permit, though those are hardly the ones I'm most concerned about...

 

[p.giannakis]

The thieves operate by bicycle or e-bike and will be out of sight within seconds

I saw someone on a e-scooter snatching a lady's hand back in Baker Street last summer. He was gone before you know it.

 

[Freakscene]

They wouldn't like finding themselves shot first before they could even demand said info from me here, since I have a CC permit, though those are hardly the ones I'm most concerned about...

If you were heavily concussed and on the sidewalk before you knew what was happening your concealed carry weapon would be no use. In the US they typically run people down with a vehicle first. They are cowardly but very effective.

 

[Merlijn53]

If you were heavily concussed and on the sidewalk before you knew what was happening your concealed carry weapon would be no use. In the US they typically run people down with a vehicle first. They are cowardly but very effective.

That’s the fun with urban myths, some say it issome say it isn’t😄

 

[Freakscene]

That’s the fun with urban myths, some say it issome say it isn’t😄

Read the police reports and court findings. And some of us have seen it happen.

I guess the London Metropolitan Police are part of an urban myth: Prolific phone fraudsters jailed, as Met steps up efforts to tackle smartphone thefts

Or the US Federal Communications Commission: https://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/events/Lookout-phone-theft-in-america.pdf

Or the Australian Federal Police, or dozens of others if you go looking.

 

[Zuiko-logist]

As I said in my post above, speaking from experience.

Please take care, some small precautions can avoid much trouble.

 

[wlewisiii]

Read the police reports and court findings. And some of us have seen it happen.

If you're actually hit with a vehicle, you won't be in any condition to answer. If you are able to, the answer is 9mm. It's an either or proposition if you are in an area where such a tactic could be used in the first place. It's not especially viable here. Now when I was in SEA in the early 2000's ...

It's also why you maintain situational awareness as well but that's something that generally takes a long time to ingrain.

 

[Freakscene]

If you're actually hit with a vehicle, you won't be in any condition to answer. If you are able to, the answer is 9mm. It's an either or proposition if you are in an area where such a tactic could be used in the first place. It's not especially viable here. Now when I was in SEA in the early 2000's ...

It's also why you maintain situational awareness as well but that's something that generally takes a long time to ingrain.

It’s not an option everywhere. It certainly is not here in Australia and that’s how I, and a majority of people here, prefer it. Awareness is everyone’s best defense.

I’d add that it is photo relevant because cameras are still a good target, and a lot of us use our smart phones at least occasionally as cameras. And it’s while you are holding it out and doing something else with it that you are most at risk.

I’d also add that with the newest iPhones you can use the phone from the home screen with the rest of the phone still locked. A bulk of thefts here in Australia and in the UK rely on the thief keeping the phone open/unlocked until they can access your data. If it is locked you are much better protected from negative outcomes associated with access or data theft than if it is not locked and accessible.

 

[Merlijn53]

Read the police reports and court findings. And some of us have seen it happen.

I guess the London Metropolitan Police are part of an urban myth: Prolific phone fraudsters jailed, as Met steps up efforts to tackle smartphone thefts

Or the US Federal Communications Commission: https://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/events/Lookout-phone-theft-in-america.pdf

Or the Australian Federal Police, or dozens of others if you go looking.

Telephone theft is not an urban myth, it happens everywhere.
I was talking about stealing somebody's phone and then using his bank apps.
Of course you can, if you force someone to tell you the pincode, but that was not the case in the op's example.
But for every banking app I know of, you need face detection or a pincode to get in and you need it again to transfer money.
So it's not as easy as it seems.

 

[Freakscene]

Telephone theft is not an urban myth, it happens everywhere.
I was talking about stealing somebody's phone and then using his bank apps.
Of course you can, if you force someone to tell you the pincode, but that was not the case in the op's example.
But for every banking app I know of, you need face detection or a pincode to get in and you need it again to transfer money.
So it's not as easy as it seems.

Read the reports. Some of the thefts provided enough information that the theives took out bank loans in the names of the victims and stole the money.

I’m out of this thread.

 

[raydm6]

I agree about situational-awareness...

Body language and how you comport yourself is very important to dissuade violent predators. When walking in larger cities - or anywhere for that matter - (especially with my wife and her family when they are visiting), my hands (and feet) are always free and I always scan who's around us, approaching us, or sizing us up. I might make quick but non-threatening eye contact to let them know I am aware of them.

Interesting study with East Coast inmates on how they would select a target.

How to walk to avoid being an easy target for crime

A criminal decides in just seven seconds if you will be their next victim.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Richard G]

I agree about situational-awareness...

Body language and how you comport yourself is very important to dissuade violent predators. When walking in larger cities - or anywhere for that matter - (especially with my wife and her family when they are visiting), my hands (and feet) are always free and I always scan who's around us, approaching us, or sizing us up. I might make quick but non-threatening eye contact to let them know I am aware of them.

Interesting study with East Coast inmates on how they would select a target.

How to walk to avoid being an easy target for crime

A criminal decides in just seven seconds if you will be their next victim.

www.nbcnews.com

Your linked article is a very helpful guide. Thank you. My daughter naturally has this stride and approach. It has long been a comfort to me that she does. I think that carrying a camera, for me even the Monochrom, a small dull and uninteresting black blob, signals photographer, observer and an alert target. My strap is wound around my wrist, difficult prospect even with a knife. I have the impression from accounts of thefts that camera thieves prefer bags: less skin contact, more equipment for the risk of the hit, and more likely to be unattended. Perhaps one camera in hand protects the rest in the bag…? Except perhaps when intently using it.