Calls for phone snatching law change – but expert warns it may not go far enough
Stolen mobile phones can be disabled soon to combat rising levels of theft throughout England – a security expert is afraid that it may not be enough to stop the fraud problem.
Worker MP Dawn Butler is looking for a change in the crime and the police bill that requires mobile phone companies to block the phones stolen from a police report within 48 hours and pay financial penalties if they do not do so. Theoretically, these people will prevent people from shifting them because they will lose their sales value.
Sadiq Khan will stop for the Mayor of London in the near future, explaining that Mrs. Butler said, “Technology giants have a clear responsibility here: the tools are already to disable the stolen devices and it is time to use them.”
Last year only at Westminster, Approximately 35,000 phones were reported. A large number of these are used to access bank accounts and other data. According to the action fraud, the money is then transferred or used to shop.
Between December 2024 and February 2025, telephone theft fraud was reported to the National Fraud Reporting Center £ 641.208.
Technology retailer Currys found that 77 percent of the British people saw “telephone breaks” as an important problem.
Among the victims, James O’Sullivan, who was a $ 21,000 from the bank account in 2023. In the same year, he founded Nuke, a smartphone security company that allows people to prevent access to services and accounts after their phones were stolen.
He said that the same attack had different flavors ”when it came to a phone.
In the case of Mr. O’Sullivan, someone watched, stole and reached his account. At other times, someone will wait for the phone to unlock and take the phone. He said that copies of passport or driver licenses are also valuable and can be used to theft of identity.
According to the change of MS Butler, if the manufacturers had 48 hours to disable, there would be enough time to access the accounts and data on the phone, and it’s worth stealing it.
He said Independent: “MPs want a logical solution – to ensure that a stolen phone cannot be used against you. The problem is that they want the phone manufacturers to do it … But the truth is that they can’t, because they can’t connect to a more online device than anyone else.”
Butler said: “My change is about adding a strong layer of protection, which will not replace personal banking security measures.
“When guaranteed to block the phones, the re -sales value will decrease. I believe that it will definitely make phone theft less attractive.”
Butler said that the Metropolitan Police and Science and Technology Election Committee could do more of the telephone companies and that they should do it.
“Phone manufacturers are not so sharp, I don’t believe it, to stop it, because part of the business models – when you steal your mobile phone, you go and buy another mobile phone.
When asked whether this is true and whether it supports the change, a Google spokesman Independent: “Android has invested in advanced theft protection features for years. We have developed and developed these features as close partners with the law enforcement and industry.”
Former Minister of Interior Minister and TORY Deputy Malthouse said to Google and Apple executives in June: ünde As you dragged your feet, it comes to many people… and in fact, sitting behind it is a very strong commercial incentive, ”he says Times.
However, approximately 80 percent of the stolen phones, Apple claims that he has taken the necessary measures.
A spokesman told Independent: “We have been working in terms of hardware, software and customer support on this issue for more than the last decade. In case of theft, we have made significant investments to create industrial leaders in the hands of our users to create tools and features.”
A Samsung spokesman added: uz We are constantly cooperating with our partners in the sector to look at new and existing solutions in order to combat this complex problem and to help increase the security of our customers who are our primary concern. ”
For a comment, the Ministry of Interior was contacted.
