Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.
Your wireless carrier is about to take a bite out of one of the nation’s fastest-growing crimes. There’s a new database of stolen cell phone numbers aimed to combat the rash of smart phone thefts around the country.
Half of Americans now have a smart phone, which gives them a real value upon resale — even if the people reselling them are crooks who stole them in the first place.
If you go on Craigslist, it’s shocking how many smart phones you’ll see for sale. There are literally hundreds available, including every fancy smart phone out there.
To combat the problem of crooks stealing and then reselling smart phones, the nation’s wireless carriers have reached a deal with the feds to compile serial numbers (ESNs) when phones are reported stolen. Having that info will allow the carriers to block voice and data service to those units.
If your phone is stolen, report it to your wireless carrier and they’ll enter your number in the database. More info on this initiative is available at FCC.gov.
In the meantime, if you have an Android or iPhone, here are some free apps for download that will help to locate a stolen phone and possibly deactivate the content on it before a criminal can breach your data.
This post was last modified on March 22, 2017 2:08 pm
If you're considering subscribing to Fubo, you need to be comfortable missing out on some…
Are you looking for a way to earn 2% back on every purchase you make…
You're not alone if you're running a balance on your credit cards. Collectively, Americans are…
A big part of saving money comes down to knowing how to comparison shop. But…
If you work for a big company as a full-time employee, chances are you have…
Are you a Peacock subscriber? You soon will have to pay more to watch NBCUniversal's…