Supercover Insurance Ltd, administrator and provider of gadget insurance, announces it has recorded and increase of over 10% in claims relating to muggings over the last six months. This comes shortly after the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that police-recorded incidents of ‘theft from the person’ rose by 8% in the year to December 2012.
Carmi Korine, director of Supercover Insurance, comments: “It is disappointing to see that incidents of muggings seem to be on the increase. With devices such as smartphones, tablets and mp3 players becoming increasingly sophisticated and sought-after, and as they become more widely owned and used in public, their owners are becoming easy targets for those who wish to try their luck.
“What some people don’t realise is that losing a device with its wealth of images, contacts, music or important documents and the cost of replacing it could be the least of their problems. The loss of a device can also lead to fraud and identity theft so prevention is definitely key.â€
“A number of insurance companies aim to provide peace of mind for their customers if something does happen to their devices, but we advise the public to apply certain measures to ensure they aren’t parted with their devices in the first place.â€
5 top tips
- Store your device in a hard-to-reach pocket or compartment in your bag
- If using a phone or tablet in the street, ensure it’s a safe environment
- Don’t leave your device unattended or in view at restaurants, bars or clubs
- Don’t use a branded or obviously expensive earpiece in public
- In the event that your device is stolen, ensure your data is protected with a pin and an in-built tracker device is activated if available.
