The recent story of a woman from Middlesbrough who had her bank account emptied after fraudsters used a sophisticated “SIM swap” scam is a timely reminder of the need for extra vigilance from all smartphone users.

However, many smartphone users might be surprised to hear that their handsets present rich pickings to cybercriminals harvesting personal data unwittingly left on devices.

Research from AVAST reveals that smartphone users often leave vast amounts of personal data and files on mobiles they bin, recycle or sell on.

Along with the hundreds of photos and e-mails/ texts that were left on devices, there were also invoices and even work contracts and explicit videos.

This is a rich source of data for fraudsters to commit identity theft.  Whether it’s opening accounts or loans in the owner’s name, ordering merchandise or services using the owner’s stored login details, or scamming contacts by posing as the owner, it all can prove to be costly to the victims.

Even photos and videos are not beyond being used for blackmail and extortion or illicit posting online.

The effects can be devastating, but there are ways to greatly reduce risk so you don’t become a victim:

  • Make sure you fully delete files; conducting a factory reset doesn’t necessarily remove all data from the device, especially since data is often stored in several places, including the internal memory, SIM card and/or SD memory cards.
  • Use passcodes and security apps so your data won’t be easily compromised if your phone is lost or stolen. There are apps available like “Find My iPhone”, which can track lost or stolen devices. You can purchase additional security apps to remotely lock the device to thwart hackers or even snap photos of the thief.
  • Remember to search online for detailed instructions for your model name/number to manually delete all data.
  • Remove Storage Card and SIM cards from your old device and if you are sure they will no longer be used, destroy them before putting in the bin.

Our CIO and Co-Founder, Monica Eaton-Cardone will be presenting at a fraud prevention session at the upcoming Affiliate Summit East in New York, and is available for interviews and speaking engagements to discuss how businesses and individuals can effectively combat fraud.