What should you do first if your smartphone is lost or stolen?

When a smartphone is lost, the victim should first inform their mobile operator. The company will block the SIM card, making it difficult for third parties to access others' bank accounts upon discovery or theft of the device. Boris Lopatin, Senior Expert in Fraud Investigation at Megafon, shared this information with Gazeta.Ru.

"It's crucial to prevent perpetrators from gaining access not only to your gadget but also to your phone number. Even if the device itself is protected by a code but the SIM card isn't, it can be inserted into another smartphone to access online banks and payment systems. Losing a smartphone and SIM card poses a risk of unauthorized access to confidential information and its use for extortion or theft of funds," said Lopatin to Gazeta.Ru.

Therefore, Lopatin recommends that all subscribers do not neglect protecting their SIM card and set a PIN code for it. This option is available in the smartphone settings under "cellular network" or "security and privacy," depending on the device's operating system.

If a smartphone is stolen or lost, the expert advises contacting the mobile operator first and asking the support staff to block the SIM card entirely or request a temporary block of the number. The SIM card can then be reissued.

"Additionally, it's worth requesting details of activity on your number from the operator. This will help determine whether any calls or other mobile operations were made while the smartphone was in someone else's hands: detailed information on all calls and messages will partially help restore lost contacts. It's equally important to check the history of banking transactions for this period," emphasized Lopatin.