Pickpockets are more likely to target Brits for their smartphones than their wallets, according to a new report published by mobile security firm Lookout.
After carrying out a detailed survey of more than 2,400 respondents across the UK, Germany, France and the US, the company’s analysts found that 23 per cent of smartphone-owning Brits have had at least one device stolen in the past.
In comparison, only 13 per cent of the UK respondents said they’d lost a wallet or purse to a thief.
The results will be particularly concerning for business owners, with ten per cent of the mobile theft victims admitting they had also lost corporate data as a result of their incidents. A further 11 per cent said they had experienced identity theft, while nine per cent reported fraudulent purchases on their accounts.
[themecolor]Apple the biggest target[/themecolor]
It appears that Apple fans have more to worry about than other smartphone owners. The report shows that 39 per cent of the handsets stolen across countries polled use the Californian firm’s iOS operating system, with just 24 per cent running on Android. This is despite the latter having a 59.5 per cent market share.
The afternoon is when smartphone owners should be most vigilant, the report suggests. It highlights the hours between noon and 5pm as being a peak time for pickpockets in all countries.
In a statement accompanying the report, Lookout said: “While there isn’t one single solution that is going to alleviate phone theft, the problem can be stifled with industry collaboration, technology, and widespread awareness for how to stay safe.”
Notably, the theft trend does not appear to stretch across all mobile technologies. Perhaps due to their size, tablets seem much less likely to be targeted, with only four per cent of respondents indicating they’d had theirs stolen before.
