LOST CELL PHONES
By Laura Quarantiello
© Tiare Publications Group

Sooner or later everyone loses his or her cell phone. It's one of 
those unwritten laws of the universe. The ubiquitous little devices 
with antennas are sprouting from pockets and purses everywhere and 
this inevitably leads to them falling out of pockets and purses 
everywhere! It's terribly easy to leave your phone behind at a 
restaurant, bank or grocery store and not miss it until you go to 
make a call or wonder why you haven't received any. If you haven't 
lost your cell phone yes, you will. Either that or it will be stolen. 
Trust me, it happens all the time. Cell phones are hot commodities on 
the stolen property market.

There are some things you can do to protect your phone from loss or 
theft, beginning with buying and using a cell phone case. These come 
in all sorts of fun colors and styles but the most important feature 
is a belt clip or "leash." Both allow you to clip your phone to your 
belt or purse and help avoid accidental loss. These aren't foolproof, 
but they'll usually solve the problem of phones falling out of your 
pocket or purse.

Contrary to popular belief, writing your name on your cell phone 
isn't a good idea. It does make it easier for a Good Samaritan to 
return your phone, but it makes it even easier for a bad guy to find 
out where you live! Instead, register with a cell phone trace service 
that assigns a number to your phone and provides you with a sticker 
to affix to the phone that a finder can use to report the recovery.

More worrisome than just losing your phone is having a criminal find 
it or steal it and then make calls on "your dime." To avoid this, 
enter a password that locks your phone, preventing it from being 
used. Technologically savvy thieves may be able to get past this, but 
the average guy won't.

Keeping your cellular phone from getting away is relatively easy; 
getting it back may be another story.

Cell phones never seem to stay where you leave them. If you happen to 
leave your phone somewhere, don't expect it to be there when you go 
back for it. Someone is sure to pick it up and that person may not be 
a Mr. Nice Guy. The police sometimes recover stolen cell phones and 
the good news is that they can easily trace the number back to the 
owner by contacting the service provider. The bad news is that many 
cell phones fall into a virtual black hole and are never recovered.

If you lose your phone, call your service provider and have them 
cancel your service so that no one can make calls with your phone. 
Check your service agreement paperwork to see what type of insurance 
is provided. If you were wise enough to get the extended service 
plan, your phone will usually be covered in the event of loss.  Just 
order another phone and you'll be back in business.

It's always a good idea to report the theft or loss to police. Most 
departments will take a report or at least provide you with an 
incident number for insurance purposes. Don't count on getting your 
phone back, but it's worth a shot.

Sooner or later everyone visits the world of lost cell phones. It's 
an inconvenience, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world. 
Follow these tips and keep your digital friend close to you.
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Laura Quarantiello is the author of "On Guard – How You Can Win the 
War Against the Bad Guys" – a vitally important book filled with 
crucial information on keeping you and your family safe from the 
creeps and crazies out there.  More information at: 
http://www.tiare.com/onguard.htm