Data on lost cellphones and theft
March 29, 2008 by Jayvee Fernandez
Filed under Cell phone, Services
Here are some facts from You Get It Back, a service that tracks lost mobile phones and other gadgets so that they may be returned to the rightful owner.
- 63,000 mobile phones, 6,000 laptops, and 5,000 PDAs left in London taxis in six months (Pointsec, 2005)
- 10,000 lost mobile phones and almost 6,000 electronic items, including cameras and laptops, in 2004 (Transport for London, 2005)
- 2,000 mobile phones lost or stolen every week in Ireland (Vodafone, 2005)
- Nearly one in four PDAs lost or stolen (Palm, 2004)
- Over 1.6 million items handed into Tokyo lost and found centre in 2002 (Associated Press, 2003)
- 4,000 items handed in daily to New York Grand Central Station’s lost and found office (Associated Press, 2003)
You Get It Back applies the eBay principle that people are still honest, and if given a way, will assist in the return of devices. Specifically for mobile phones, you can download a Java based application that helps people return the phone via ID tracking as well as making it harder to steal the phone via anti-theft lockdown.
