Thursday, August 1, 2013

Cell Phone Security




CELL PHONES ~ I never thought of this.......

This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her cell phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. 

20 minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago.' 

When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.


The Moral of this Story:

1. Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc.


2. Most importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.


3. When you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and friends' who text you.

4. Always ensure you put a passcode on your phone to prevent unauthorised access to your private information.


PLEASE PASS THIS ON ~ Even if this doesn't relate to you.
Pass it on to your family and friends

205 comments:

1 – 200 of 205   Newer›   Newest»
Anonymous said...

I understand that, but I DISAGREE, I work at a hospital, and there have been numerous times we have called a family, because it said MOM...

Unknown said...

Very good comment and well to be taken in with your mom, dad, kids, so forth.. please don't list them,As who they are. No matter what you think may work to keep a thief out of your body, mind, soul, loves of your life, a thief has already thought of it.. so stay packed and rounded up.. for trouble will come in all ways that your heart is weakend by.. take heed and listen to someone whomever has already had tragedy enter into their life..

Anonymous said...

I have a heart condition. I need my phone to say Husband so if I get taken to the ER they will know who to call.

Anonymous said...

Maybe other folks haven't heard about this, but your emergency contact should be listed under ICE - in case of emergency. I was told most emergency responders/medical personnel know to look for this.

Anonymous said...

You can put the term ICE on your phone to indicate whom to call "In Case of Emergency." In fact, put two individuals on there. It does not indicate any relationship to the individual owning the phone.

IBGKLC said...

That's why my family uses ICE

Anonymous said...

if u lock your phone, then a thief can't access your address book!

Anonymous said...

How could he withdraw all the money at the bank....? did she loose her ATM card also? A bank will not give you any cash without some identification...not just her cell phone and the PIN!!!???

Sakkara Blacke said...

I work in private security therefore every other number in my cell phone address book is to a Law enforcement dept in the cities I work in, I lost my phone on BART one night, idiot texted by bf talking shit but then turned my phone over to BART station agent and according to the BART Police officer that was present, walked away very quickly..I got it back the next day..lol

kcsuz said...

ICE is the best way to list those important people - yet no relationship. Just like the other people have said - just change it. Now....

Anonymous said...

Opinion: You can do whatever you want. Your choice! But, really... "All" the money gone from an ATM withdraw... (must not have been a lot) just saying!! ICE is the best way to go though...

Anonymous said...

Um yeah the story said her whole handbag was stolen....her cards / wallet and everything....

Anonymous said...

The ATM will.

Anonymous said...

Just have his number listed as ICOE (in case of emergency)instead of husband. It is safer that way!

Anonymous said...

I use passwords even if we are calling or texting for such information.

Anonymous said...

According to Snopes.com, this story has been around with minor variations since 2006. It is considered more of a cautionary tale than a true story of an actual incident. I typed in "Stolen cell phone and ATM" and came up with the story.

Anonymous said...

My family uses ICE

Anonymous said...

This is also important to note about the GPS that could be stolen out the car. If you put HOME as a marker EXACTLY they can come to your, work, children's homes etc... So it is best to not save addresses in a portable GPS

Soulmoon said...

Ahhh, but now that everyone knows to use "ICE" you think that the robbers, etc. don't know to look up "ICE"??? Gotta be a better way

Anonymous said...

Most ATMs will only do about $300.00 a day, not allow you to clean out your whole account.

Anonymous said...

Really quote snopes which is pure crap it self.

Anonymous said...

We use I.C.E. also

Anonymous said...

Maybe she should of put a password on her phone. They wouldnt of got in it!! People are evil out there in this crazy world!!

Anonymous said...

What is ICE?

Anonymous said...

I came very close to being scammed twice in one week! Be careful! They go to your Timeline and find out whatever they need to know to get you to talk to them!! And, that can be the beginning of the END!!!

Anonymous said...

What is i.c.e

Unknown said...

use ICE too with my family

Anonymous said...

it means "in case of emergency" if you put "ICE" next to a contact, it is recognized by police and medical as your emergency contact

Unknown said...

Sorry and ICE is In case (of) Emergency

Unknown said...

ICE...in case of emergency

Anonymous said...

i.c.e means in case of emergency

Anonymous said...

My husband and I have different accounts so theifs would not be able to ask about my account. I keep my pin in my head. It is not written anyplace.

Anonymous said...

It may not sound a lot but even £10 is a couple of days food if you dont have any money

Anonymous said...

What is I.C.E.?? REALLY?? Come on, now, even I know that. But if a wife can't remember her PIN, then it is NOT your wife!! He's an idiot for even RESPONDING. He should have CALLED her right back.

Anonymous said...

Until that bad person reads this and they get all there Questions answer Ice Husband whatever have a code with your family when you are going to ask for information that only you both show kNow cover all bases once it is on the internet it is not a secret !!

Anonymous said...

ICE is on the face of my phone along with my name so if anything happens and someone needs to call my emergency contact, it is there before unlocking my phone to get to the address book.

Anonymous said...

Haaa that is so true. The wife should have none the pin and even if she did 'forget' the husband should have phoned straight away and ask her why she needed the pin. There musnt have been a lot of money in the account if it all was took out on atm

Anonymous said...

But, if your phone is locked, how do the emergency personnel get the number listed under ICE?

Anonymous said...

well ice will not work now because anyone reading this knows what ice means. oops

Anonymous said...

I don't know how emergency personnel get your ICE numbers if the phone is locked. Does anyone know?

Anonymous said...

It really doesnt matter what you do to protect yourseif, a thief will figure out how to rip you off, thats what they do SCAM, SCHEME and CON!!!! Thats the world we live today..

Anonymous said...

To add to the comments..since the hubby knew her pin# the bank won‘t cover the theft. Pin numbers are supposed to be for the card holder only! Sharing the pin with anyone will void the banks responsibilty.

Anonymous said...

ummm...put a password on your phone????

Anonymous said...

First off - my husband doesn't even know what a "pin #" is.......

Unknown said...

The World is Doomed, OMG, no wonder scammers succeed, idiots out there waiting oh dear I'm going to be scammed day. I list family as they are,I will not hide or make things secret squirrel, I keep my brain open, family & friends are the same, we are not targets & do not have that mindset. I actually feel sorry for people that have that type of problem..

Unknown said...

Good on you.

Unknown said...

I think the whole story is more than likely a Hoax.

Anonymous said...

My husband & I share a checking acct. but we each have our own ATM card & therefore our own PIN#. He knows mine because I had an issue years ago with my memory but if he received a text from me asking about my PIN, the 1st thing he would do is call me to make sure I was alright & he would never give it to me by text or over the phone, he would meet me & then give it to me. I don't write PIN #'s down & carry them in my purse or car, tht would be dumb!

Unknown said...

What I said has just been proven, re the message in front of mine.
" Their mindset is 'oh dear I will be ripped of today' or I'm here come & get me" lmao.

Anonymous said...

Tha ATM will allow to pull out the amount you authorize as your daily withdraw. If you authorize 100, 200, or 1000.00 is up to you. Any it does not matter how much the point is the violation of your privacy and how easy it was.;-)

Unknown said...

Actually should list 3 ICE CONTACTS:ICE 1,ICE 2,ICE 3 IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE IN CASE 1ST ONE DOES NOT ANSWER OR GOES TO VOICE MAIL.

Anonymous said...

Should always have a lock on your phone. Then they would need your number to open it to begin with.

Anonymous said...

I am trying to decide on which security I want to use. I almost put a lock by password on my phone but then realized that in case of emergency no one would be able to figure out who to call. So I was studyng an idea about a homescreen that comes up and maybe I could put ICE on that screen but lock the phone so that it can't get beyond that screen. That's a possibility. but wouldn't anyone suspect that the ICE numbers are people close and ear to me.

Anonymous said...

On my phone it says emergency call and will only bring up the numbers in ICE .

Anonymous said...

I lost my phone once, the person who found my phone, went through my contacts. turns out that my contacts where people that they knew. got my phone back and never lost my phone since. how often do that happens.

Anonymous said...

P.S I lost my phone at the gas station when I was cleaning out my car i threw away the phone in the trash.

Anonymous said...

Just keep a tight hold on your purse at all times in public. I strap mine into the grocery cart when I'm shopping.

Anonymous said...

That's why I put daughter and son next to my kids names, in case of emergency. Something to think about though.

Anonymous said...

Keep your phone password protected. Depending on the emergency the paramedics are not gonna be looking for your phone. They can find your wallet and license just as easily and your next of kin could be contacted that way. Good luck to someone wanting to clean out my bank account...there ain't much in it.

Anonymous said...

Right, just what I was thinking.

Anonymous said...

Do you know that, even if you "lock" your phone, the SIM card can be taken out and used. There are more secure ways to lock your information. Contact your cell phone service to find out how

Anonymous said...

You can't withdraw all your money in one day from the ATM. That part of the story cannot be true!

Anonymous said...

must not have had much money...my bank limits ATM TO 500 per day, and last year when I was hacked they replaced my money in 24 hours

Anonymous said...

The part about withdrawing all of your money in one day can't be true because there is a daily limit..But some of this story has taught me a lesson, namely as how I list people! i will be changing my list as of right now!







Anonymous said...

I agree, in PA we can get 600.00 per day thru any ATM. That's probably all the money they had...in that sense, That's not just ALOT, It's EVERYTHING.
I have Lookout Security, which T-Mobile offers in the states, on my HTC One, it's a 600.00 phone (and worth every penny, btw). I can locate my phone via GPS, with almost pinpoint accuracy, as in down to an actual street address. I work in the Medical field, and always carry my cell with me in my pocket. It's either there, on the dock in my car (only when I'm in the car), or on the table in our living room, charging at night.
My point, when you put out that much money, and love your phone as much as I love mine, you ALWAYS know where it is. oh, and Good Luck stealing my purse too! I'd end up beating the wanna-be thief with it after I tackled him!

Anonymous said...

1st) Having at least 1 ICE is really important, according to PO I've spoken with, especially if you have elderly parents you don't want getting that kind of call. And vice versa for having elderly parents who need an ICE contact.
2nd) Lot of people don't know this but, anything you text & delete can more be recovered, even from months or years ago, so it's not a good idea to ever text PINs, cc #s or confidential info.

I got a new cell phone & not long after was texting my daughter when parts of messages from previous texts showed up in the text she received from me, even tho it didn't show in the message I was sending her. This was thru Verizon so I know they're keeping old texts somewhere in their database for it to show up on a different phone than it was originally sent from!

Anonymous said...

put I.C.E. instead of your husbands name.

Anonymous said...

I think I would also talk to my contacts about using a certain code word in a message. Could also be used to let them know that you feel you are in danger for whatever reason. Hey, drug dealers use code words to alert each other of impending raids, so why not use code words with your contacts so that they know it's really you and not some scum-bag who stole your phone.
ICE is a great idea as well, but I think you should list more than one... This way if one isn't answering, the other might.

Anonymous said...

I don't know where you bank at but I have never known a bank that lets you set your own daily amount to withdraw. The daily fees at the banks I have worked at depends on your type of account and they range from $300.00 to $600.00 per day.

Anonymous said...

"The bank staff told them ALL the money was already withdrawn"!
...Apocryphal "folk myths" often make good warnings. (backup / sync regularly, if your phone / network doesn't make it too difficult)

Anonymous said...

I use ICE go to the bank and put a limit on how much can be drawn in one day

Anonymous said...

This is odd. Would a bank not be alerted if all of the money was taken out without going to the bank to close the account. Is there not a form of security in the bank to create alarm if this happens. How would the thieves know how much was in the bank without a few mistakes. Just asking.

Anonymous said...

If you train your memory, writing down passwords and codes are not a good idea. Btw. I have NO sensitive information in my cell-phone, no passwords, no secret numbers, no nothing.

Anonymous said...

yes but from the hospital u call not text. that's the difference/ and yes ICE is best to use but some people don't know that

Anonymous said...

I think master card can empty one‘s account in a day

Anonymous said...

Its not a hoax. Its just giving you tips on how to be smarter about doing things. Such as changing your names in your phone so that this don't happen to you...

Anonymous said...

Looks fishy.
1. they share a PIN? Who does that?
2. really, they emptied the WHOLE ACCOUNT at the atm? No.

Anonymous said...

How can you withdraw all someones money out of an ATM when they all have a limit of 300-500 $$ @ one time.Maybe that's all the poor couple had in their bank?

Anonymous said...

In most cases each ATM card has a different pin....her husbands pin would normally not work for hers. I have to cards from different banks and my pin is different than the rest.

Anonymous said...

I have a password protection on my phone but on my lock screen I put "if found please call (my husbands name) at (his number).

Anonymous said...

thanks for the information about ice I can now do that and tell family and friends

Anonymous said...

I have used ICE for a while now but I think in order to help the emergency services it's helpful to list them in order of preference ie ICE1, ICE2 etc additionally I have indicated NOT ICE next to my elderly mothers number because if she received a call that I'd had an accident she would likely have a coronary event.

Anonymous said...

OOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKKKK.................LOL

Charles Abbott said...

I use a app on my phone called Acadian. You set up emergency contacts and it allows you to make a wallpaper with a picture and your contact info. So when my phone is in locked position, and when they turn my phone on.. that info pops up on the screen

Anonymous said...

You can only withdraw a few hundred dollars at a time from an ATM within 30 minutes so they didn't have a lot of money if they were totally wiped out.

ICE is the best to use but I don't think it hurts to still use Mom or Dad in your phone either.

People have to use caution. This is a dangerous world we live in, and we have to always be on guard. He was very foolish to send the PIN in a text message like that.

Anonymous said...

We share account with different cards and passwords.. and my bank allows only 1000 dollars a day through atms ... If he withdrewww 600 , i will be able to withdraw only 400 that day ...

parsec said...

a. Who shares bank pins? My parents do. They have multiple accounts, and they have a pin for their debit card. But the difference is they are more suspicious.
b. Too many comments about ICE.
c. Not all phones can have a pass lock. What if she had a flip phone? No password lock there.
d.Even if you can only withdraw so much out of an ATM at one time, whose to say they didn't use multiple ATMs to get all the money?

Anonymous said...

theif steals my debit card & goes to empty my checking acct. he's in for a rude awaking. By the time I pay all my bills make co pays @ the drs. get my meds I'm lucky if I've got $5.00 left @ the end of the month.

Anonymous said...

I haved bank with different branches and all of them has offer to change the amount of your daily withdrawl. And be change, higher or lower. Its can 100, 200 ,300 etc.... Up to 1000.

KaeB said...

this ICE convo is ridiculous. do it if you want, I would just go to phone history - who has been talked to the most - if I wanted a close contact. emergency or not. and do you think thieves are dumb and they don't figure one of your ICE people is who they want to talk to. AND what if your phone is lost when you get in an accident and never makes it to the hospital? they will still find your info.

Anonymous said...

No one can withdraw more than $300 to $600 per day so they must not have had much in there anyway but it still hurt I am sure. Pretty dumb husband to just text the pin.

Anonymous said...

I am laughing here..you guys forget that there are thousands of people out there who have very little money in their bank accounts. No one mentioned how much money was actually taken and many pensioners have less than $600 in their every day savings accounts. We are talking one account here..and..this story may not be true but it is a lesson in awareness.

Bug88 said...

I can't believe how many of you are stuck on the amount of money that was taken, and also how many of you are calling the husband an idiot for txting the pin back to whom he thought was his wife. Now really... the amount of money has nothing to do with the lesson that is trying to be taught here. That's why the amount was never mentioned to begin with. Also the intelligence of either individual has nothing to do with this lesson, because if you think about it, when you are busy doing something and you get a text message from someone close to you, such as your husband/wife/bff, you don't really stop to think... GEee I wonder if this is really them. NO... you just answer the question that was asked of you. So insulting someone else's intelligence isn't a fair thing to do in this situation.
The smart thing for any of us to do is to look at the deeper meaning behind this article. The deeper meaning is .... a small thing you can do to help keep you and your loved ones safer from people who take advantage of you any way that they can.
It doesn't matter how much money you have in your bank account, it doesn't matter if your bank only allows $100 - $2000 to be taken a day.
What if someone took your phone and you had your daughter/ son's number listed that way, and this creep texted them to meet him/you (because they will think it's you) somewhere and they go, only to meet their doom??
it's not about the bank, it's not about what was said in the txt, it's not about how smart someone is... it's about keeping your loved ones and yourself safe.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't matter how much money they had... $100. to a poor family is A LOT of money. It was everything they had. Besides that... the amount of money doesn't matter tp the lesson being taught in this article.

Anonymous said...

I would give you a thumbs up if I could on your first comment. The banking part of this article has nothing to do with the lesson it is trying to teach. It is about your privacy being violated and it's trying to teach a small way to try to help keep you safer. people seem to be missing the point.

I think it depends on where you live as to how your bank might do things. Where I am from we use a small town bank that is very personal and they will allow you to choose how much you want to be withdrawn from an atm, as long as you are not a student. If you are a student they limit you to $100 - $300 per day. If you an adult you can put in writing at the bank how much you would like to withdraw and they will set your account to that limit.

But again.... this holds no relevance to the lesson being taught here. :-)

Anonymous said...

Ice on my phone and no texting!!

Anonymous said...

I.C.E. beside the person's name works sufficiently. That and having someone that doesn't know anything about texting works great.

Anonymous said...

Snopes says to consider this to be a cautionary tale, rather than a story about an actual event. It's been circulating since around 2006.

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/pintheft.asp

Anonymous said...

Not if it was a joint account. If they both have access, they both can have the PIN.

Anonymous said...

To answer the question, "if your phone is locked, how do the emergency personnel get the number listed under ICE?"

If a cellphone has password or locked, once the emergency personnel or anyone who want to activate your phone, the phone will asks the password of your phone and below - it also asks the ICE, so if in case something happened to you the emergency personnel will just press the ICE, to contact whoever your ICE listed there and they don't need to bother to guess your password in order to look for your ICE.

Anonymous said...

Thank you , you are the true smart answe i have heard yet.

Anonymous said...

Emergency workers would probably be able to call the cell phone company too to get the phone unlocked or at least the contact for the ICE.

Anonymous said...

my son was in an awful wreck with a motorcycle while he was driving to my house. The lady who found him, dialed me because I was listed as "Mom." in the long haul he recovered but I completely disagree with this article.

Anonymous said...

My withdrawal limit in more that 300-400... so yes my bank account could be wiped out in a hurry with my card.

Anonymous said...

What.... 200 dollars I could not afford to loose, ehy some people acting like tht is nothing. To some of us tht is what we Will live on till next payday

Anonymous said...

I do understand the story, however, if she is asking for the pin number, that means that they are planning on using the atm..Well if I am correct, there is a limit of amount of money you can get off the atm in one day. Although I believe this to be a made up story, it still teaches a lesson.

Anonymous said...

I use ICE... btw, I have had as high as $1000/day cash withdrawal limit. It's determined by your bank, your credit and your banking history. At another bank, I had a lower limit and after sending a letter to the bank requesting an increase, the dollar amount was increased to the limit I requested that fit my banking needs at the time. Whether this story is true or not, it reminds us to be aware.

Unknown said...

My son when he was single...faithfully deposited his pay check into his bank account each payday.....he didn't know that the teller was hitting the wrong key and adding it to another person's account....when he went to draw some money out....there was none there....he went to the bank and they treated him like a thief...and he had to dig out all his deposit slips of the past deposits....good thing he gave them to me instead of casting them aside like some young people have a tendency to do.....the bank accepted the deposit slips with an apology....and replaced his money....with the statement made that they were going to go legally after the guy who stole his money....knowing that they didn't have that amount in their checking account....my son then changed banks.

Anonymous said...

my hubby has direct deposit of his paycheck. We have 2 checking accounts one for ATM and one for just checks, they are linked but we only transfer a small amount into the ATM account when needed. This way if the ATM card is lost or stolen they cant use it as a charge card with no pin #.. learned that lesson the hard way.

Anonymous said...

My ICE is my eldest son-in-law. My GPS "home" is my other son-in-law. They both know who else in the family needs to be contacted if they get "that" call. My PIN is my best friends DOB. I don't use an ATM as I don't trust them. Being related to an Alzheimers sufferer we have chip & sign still. You just have to let your bank know that a PIN is not safe for you as you wouldn't be able to use your card unless you wrote the PIN down.

Anonymous said...

That happened to me in a part of town I never really visited. My cousin, who was visiting from out of town, found it and got hold of me through his grandparents and my parents.

Anonymous said...

Thank you as I will share this with all my loved ones. This is just another reason I read everything from Daveswordofwisdom every day. Again thank you.

Joe Alves said...

ICE doesnt work when you work for ICE.

People just need to be smarter about giving out info over text.

Anonymous said...

All this information is good; however, it can give the wrong person ideas to try it. Not everyone who reads this is honest and people sometimes learn to do the wrong things with "helpful" information.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with 9:04 P.M.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't the thief know that ICE is your family?

Steph said...

Yeah I have about $40 in my bank account....good luck LOL

Anonymous said...

It is a story-fyi

Anonymous said...

my bank
has no limit on daily withdrawls,it is VERY possible to take thousands out in just minutes!!!

Anonymous said...

Always use ICE as a contact number for emergencies.

Anonymous said...

Bunch of BS!...

Anonymous said...

When I get a request for information I ask for a letter on . This will end the call and if not it makes the call part of the postal police.

Anonymous said...

So as I read this, I'm thinking that there are people that now know that numbers listed as ICE are the numbers they will want, if they didn't already know. If everyone knows how is that being safe?

Anonymous said...

If this is a true story well, the husband must be pretty stupid to just give out pin number without questing her.... + the wife even more stupid for forgetting her "PIN" number....

nomilav said...

My bank has a FREE Fraud Alert that notifies me if there is an unusal pay out to an unusual account. I was hit for $2700.00 once and the bank Fruad Alert folks called me before the transaction was approved because I don't usually make that type of payment on my bank card and it is SELDOM that I as a disabled Vet even have that kind of money in my account. I did change my bank card and numbers thanks to the advice of the bank mgr. Sure saved me a lot of headache.

Anonymous said...

The moral of the story is always check if u get a text asking for sensitive information, bc u never know.

Anonymous said...

My atm allows $1000 a day but with a card and pin someone can take all but a few cents from account when they go into the bank,,, and I use ICE as well, but I wouldn't give any personal details to someone in a txt until I've checked its my hubby, but we have joint account with separate pin's,, I lost my purse some time ago and the first thing I did was alert bank, within 10mins my card was cancelled... I see the moral of the story and agree that ICE numbers are close family so that really wouldn't stop them.. I also have thief alert on phone,,, these are ways and means to cover yourself to make things harder for thieves.. I'm in Australia so probably different to US..

Anonymous said...

In Singapore, there is a bank that let u choose whether u want to withdraw $1000, $3000, $5000 or $9000 per day.

Anonymous said...

Important matters must not sms.

Anonymous said...

Don't put bank cards together with the hp.

Unknown said...

My husband can barely remember our address let alone my pin. Dumb man.

Anonymous said...

It appears to me that I.C.E. will no longer be safe, because of today's sharing on fb??

Anonymous said...

The reason why ICE is used in the first place is so that Emergency techs can easily get a hold of someone close to you in the middle of an emergency! The reason why ICE would stop a thief is because they have no idea what relationship you have with an ICE person on your cell phone. Why are people saying "but if a thief knows this, then it's useless" No it isn't! The thief will be "blocked" as he can't just text an ICE person and ask "Im texting you...are MOM? DAD? SISTER? WIFE? anyways, whatever, I need the PIN #..."
A thief won't even TEXT YOU with that question because he will be automatically busted! So it DOES stop a thief from texting close members to obtain personal information about you.

Anonymous said...

That is what ICE "In Case of Emergency" is for

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of morons. All you people who said oh they must not have had much money in the bank. It don't matter how much they had. I wouldn't want any money taken from my account.Would you want any amount of money taken from yours? Dumb asses!!!!

Anonymous said...

I have my home address on my Sat Nav set to 3 streets away. So if someone found it they would end up at a crossroads nowhere near where I actually live.

Sat Nat's don't need to be set to your actual address, just a local location.

Anonymous said...

NEVER give out the pin number! especially by text.

If my partner asked me for his pin, even over the phone, I would give him a memory jogger rather than the actual pin.

Whatever you use, the evil thieves in the world will catch on and use it. If you use a 4 number security code thieves will hack it to gain access to the phone.

The best way to stop them is NOT storing anything in your phone.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to tell you all that a friend of mine had $17,000 stolen out of his account via ATM. Maybe the limit works on some banks and some cards but not all. The person who stole the money got it $600 at a time, back to back.

Anonymous said...

NEVER, NEVER should a person respond to a text when proprietary information is requested. STUPID, STUPID man!

Anonymous said...

about a year ago.this lady that lived in s.carolina got our bank account number.how we have no idea.she went to target and spent 300 dollars .she went to lowes and spent about another 300.i still didn't catch it.i wasn't using my card at this time.when i realized that this was going on she zapped us with about 1000 dollars.we called the bank at that very same time as i was talking to the teller.there was a purchase mad at food lion.for 238.that was a blessing the teller was talking to me.i live in florida.the woman was using our account number and her real name.she was caught and the bank replaced all of the money.i am still trying to catch up on all of this a year later.

Anonymous said...

If my husband got a text asking for our pin he would know something was wrong and he would call me back when I didnt answer the phone he would have it turned off so what I say to you now a days you can lock your phone so do it

Anonymous said...

Locking your phone with a passcode is not the best choice. In August of 2012 my daughter suddenly passed away and I was not able to get into her phone to call her friends.

Anonymous said...

when you pay for gas at pump always hit clear or cancel after you get your receipt...numbers are stored on pumps and a gas station employee sold my husband's card number to someone several states away...they were able to charge over 800.00 in purchases before bank realized he couldn't be using in 2 different states within 10 minutes and called us...

Also if someone gets your card and forces you to go to bank with them put your pin number in backwards it notifies police... hopefully this will be helpful to someone

Sylvia said...

Everyone knows about ICE but I have found that since the phone lists everyone alphabetically, I just put the numbers 911 next to whomever needs to be called in case of emergency that way, since it's a number, it lists it first and no one has to go through the list to find your ICE. Just thought I'd comment.

Anonymous said...

My father collapsed and went into cardiac arrest at a card table among friends. When the EMT's came to take him to the hospital, the EMT in the rear of the ambulance attending my father robbed him of all his cash and jewelry......moral of this short story.....don't trust anyone, always have a back -up plan w/someone you can really trust w/ your life and information.

Anonymous said...

SNOPES? Seriously ... it was revealed several months ago that it's just a couple who research stuff on line to find the most probable answer. you can't count on that any more.

Anonymous said...

To all of you questioning "all their money was taken", my husband has upped his withdrawal limit and is allowed to take out $1000 a day in $500 increments, so yeah if someone were to do that to us it would wipe out our account. Not everyone has thousands of dollars in their accounts.

Anonymous said...

*** Remember Purse was stolen, Women carry everything.. In your wallet all your Identification, photo- that indicates your weight height, purchase receipts. Pocket planners personal info? Once someone gets your Identification they can royally F*** your credit so it will take you 10 yrs to get bk together. These are the days of information and people buy and sell it. *** Just Like th e book 1981 George Orwell, who knows Micro chiop in the wrist anyone????????????? lol

Anonymous said...

There is also an option of locking your sim--- incase they take it out and put in another phone they will need to provide your code.

Anonymous said...

I always use ICE, for those of you that don't know its,
in Case of Emergency

Anonymous said...

I keep a carabiner (one of those "C" shaped clips used by mountain climbers) hooked onto my keychain at all times. When I go into a store, I use the handy carabiner to clip my keys and my purse all together to the frame of the grocery cart in the child seat portion of the cart. While anyone who was determined would still get my purse if they wanted it badly enough, I do figure this simple trick would slow down anyone who was looking for a quick "grab and dash" shot at my purse. It also helps keep me from accidently dropping or misplacing my purse and keys when I am out shopping.

Anonymous said...

I read someone of the comments -- use ICE --- if you have an iphone - make a screen with the ICE info on it, use the home button and the power button to capture the screen. it will be in your photo library. Go to settings and set it up as your wallpaper on the front screen.

Anonymous said...

well all you need to do is put ur pin in back to front here in the uk and this alerts the cops to a robbery and every camera will focus on that atm untill he or she is banged up mayby you should try that store ur pin in ur contacts back to front and read them the other way round and play the player

Anonymous said...

My family also uses ICE . I alot safer than putting mom, dad ect. plus if you do not recognize who it is one your loved ones phone do not give any info out!

Anonymous said...

Well, now the thieves all know to look for ICE when trying to obtain a pin.

Anonymous said...

One thing people are forgetting about. If there is no lock on ur phone. If your phone is connected to ur social medias and emails they can obtain information from that as well. The ICE should be written on. A card behind ur ID in your wallet and ur phone should stay locked

Anonymous said...

Ek wil iets deel dit maak bitter seer maar iewers moet ek dit skryf of se n naby familielid van my se man wat heeldag by die huis is het eendag gebel op my foon waar hy my no gekry het weet ek nie het gevra kan ek met jou kom praat ek het gese ja ek sal more by die huis wees hy het kom gesels n paar keer by die huis aangekom ek het nooit gedink dat daar ander redes was waaroor hy hier kuier nie maar soos dit toe gebeur vir sy vrou toe uit daarvan maar eintlik het daar soos niks tussen ons gebeur soos sy wil voorgee nie my man en kind was bewus daarvan hy het gese hy is en was nog nooit lief vir sy vrou nie hulle moes nooit getrou het nie sy gaan alleen naweke weg toe sy uitvind hy kuier in die dag hier kom sy eendag hier aan en begin soos n mal ding tekere gaan ek is n skarlakenvrou ek verlei mans en als wat sleg is ja soos dit toe moet gebeur stap my man en kind by die huis in sy se sy is so kwaad vir haar man sy sal hom met n mes gaan dood steek sy natuurlik al haar kinders gebel en vertel wat se tipe vrou ek is ja soos ek se daar het niks tussen ons gebeur nie en sy die spinnekop wyfie met al die gif wat verhoudings het met ander mans bel hulle terwyl haar man in die huis sit en als kan hoor wat sy vir die mans se is nou die verontregte persoon maar ek het besluit vermy haar soos ek kan want as sy met haar gif ander so kan vergiftig wil ek haar nie eers naby my he nie of weet van haar bestaan nie ek dink sy is erger as n tarantula spinnekop met al daardie gif in haar ek dank God dat ek n keuse het wil ek haar ken of nie ek se liewers sonder haar in my lewe as met haar in my lewe ek kry net haar man bitter jammer hy is elke dag van sy lewe naby haar (seker sy keuse)

Anonymous said...

they must of only gad a few hundred dollars you plus you cant with deaw without a card

Anonymous said...

that's a great simple but surely to be a "slow down"to the "shopper thieves". Will keep in mind, and til seeing prior posts I had no idea what I.C.E meant. As i'm sure many of societies honest hard working people who still wanna believe that there is Hope for humanity, don't know. Am praying Ppl take this in as it states "moral lesson"and are better aware of their surroundings and actions.

Anonymous said...

first off the couple had to have less than a certain amount in the bank as most bank cards have a limit of 500 per day. second off if it is fraud then the bank will investigate as 99% of all atms including those little ones in stores not affiliated with any bank have cameras therefore they will have a picture of the thief and be able to provide the police with a photo of the suspect. third off if my spouse or child text me for the pin i would send them the pin reminder we set our pins to words such as duck or shit or even the f work so if i was asked for a pin i would say what did we fed in the lake on sunday or taking my morning shit atm pls text later or who the f is this we do this so as protect against such a thing from happening and just so you know most banks will let you choose your own pin and if more than one person uses the card sit down and make a password reminder statement this way it looks like an ordinary statement and if you ever get a text asking for it never just say duck or home or crap turn it into a sentence like who the crap is this or hey ducky you know i dont know the pin to your card call me

Anonymous said...

Atm cards have a cap between 300 and 500 dollars. They cannot get more than that in a 24 hr period withought going directly to the bank personally. So yes they could have gotten all they had but it was less than 500. And any reputable bank would have replaced the money and the police would have a picture of the thief at the atm where the money was withdrawn. As for the ice come on thieves are pretty stupid but I gurantee smart enoigh to figure that out. I list all contacts by name. First name initial of last. I know my wifew name and are kids names I don't need a reminder of who they are. As for medical emergency check the speed dial and call log call the most called name or top 3 on speed dial. U will get family.

Anonymous said...

uhh... maybe I am just really dumb... but I imagine that if I was a criminal and saw ICE as on of the contacts I would simply send an SMS to that number asking for my "forgotten pin". So how exactly does it prevent criminals?...

Oh well.

And you guys worrying about police not being able to contact your family because your phone is locked... aww thats a pity isn't it... maybe one day in the future the police can find peoples relatives without the need of the phones at all... like in the 80's and 90's... ooops

*people's problems these days! omg*

Max Kohn said...

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/telephone/pintheft.asp

Anonymous said...

I when shopping always use the child safety belt.. wrap it around the handle of my purse several times then click it... I know yeah a theft can still happen.. but would take awhile to untangle and deter them from tryig

Anonymous said...

My husband has "MY Wife" listed on his phone so that if ever in an accident someone may be able to notify me. He drives alot and it gives me peace of mind. Strongly disagree. I say call the person and TALK if you need such things as pin numbers ect.. We live in a world where talking is going obsolete. Keep your spouse listed because it may be a difference in being there when they need you or not.

LadyV602 said...

You can't withdraw money without a bank card. Even if they walked up to a teller, without proper identification they're just wasting time and looking stupid.

Anonymous said...

Who cares how much money they could get out. Sheesh! It's a cautionary tale. I didn't know what ice was but would that not also be indicative that it's someone who might know a pin number?

Damn people - the point is not that if their bank account was cleared out and they must not have much in there. I don't want to lose $20 to a thief. I don't want to lose $2 to a thief. I think it's a great post as a reminder to think ahead. Think about what might happen if your cell phone was stolen and consider any information you list in it from that context. My cell phone has a special app for passwords but I don't use it because if I lose it I don't want anyone having access to my passwords. Period.

The only person listed in my cell phone by relation is my dad & brother. Sufficient for an emergency contact but I guarantee you if I requested a pin number they'd be calling wondering if they need to have me committed.

Anonymous said...

I think the withdrawal limit CAN be changed on request. Am I right?

Anonymous said...

well that's why they invented password throug
h phone it's not that hard yo set up one and its not really hard to put one...

Anonymous said...

If my family can't call and needs to text me about important info we have a password to make sure it's who they said they are if they can't answers the question then no info .

Anonymous said...

Orwell wrote 1981? lol...also who ever said they can take out $1,000, they are lying...my contact list "names" (cover names obviously), whom I call if phone and other information are stolen, are "joey Gambino" Sammy Luchesse, Fat tommy bonnano, etc..." you get the picture...

Anonymous said...

and everything that was stolen will someway be returned, nice...

Anonymous said...

We also use ICE

Anonymous said...

if my husband rings me and asks for the pin we have a code a simple word tat we ask each other so i now its him and no one knows what it is and its simple

Anonymous said...

And now all the phone thieves know what ice means. Silly people hahaha!!!!

Anonymous said...

Are some of you actually reading the whole story?? saying the woman was stupid forlosing her pin?? ummm hello, it was the thieves sending the text, she didnt forgrt it! Also, saying they had to have the card to use the ATM..it says they stole her handbag, including her phone, not just her phone. If your going to comment and call people stupid, be sure you have read the story,not just the comments. Whether its true or not...who knows. its a lesson they are trying to teach. whether u use ICE, a phone lock,etc all this would be irrelevant if you and your family agreed never to send sensitive information over text. Its just asking for trouble....

Anonymous said...

ok so tell every one 2 use ice & if some takes your cell phone they r going 2 know its your wife or husband u & your hubby or wife should have a word only u know 2 give each other imfo. 2 like if u send some one 2 get u kid from school give that person a pass word that only your kid knows so like if some one your kid may know but u may not really send them after your kid the kid will ask for the pass word because u cant trust any one now a days some times not even fam. kids know not 2 go 2 stranges but they don't think if its some one they may have meat one or 2 times there should b a password for every thing now a days that's just the tipe of would we live in sad but a must

Anonymous said...

ICE is okay to use in your phone, but if the people who get ahold of your phone, thieves, etc...ARE UP TO NO GOOD, as in doing bad things...it is not good to have your contacts listed as hubby, mom, etc...IF you have someone contact you and say in a text "what is your/our pin number?" DON't Text them the answer, CALL AND SPEAK TO THEM. You may not be texting who you think you are. Goes both ways in a text conversation. If someone texts you and says something to you, it may or may not be them. Think about it and be safe.

Anonymous said...

This Is Interesting.

Unknown said...

Excuse me but the person who said their bank allows $1,000 a day withdrawal from the ATM IS NOT LYING! I too have the same limit with my U S Bank account! You need to do some research before saying someone is LYING!!!

Anonymous said...

yes, it's true that some couldn't tell what ICE means....so in my case i just put it the way others could comprehend..InCaseofEmergency...without a space in between words...

Anonymous said...

I didn't know what ICE meant until I read this article. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..., Also, what is a payphone? Is it a 'trash-cell'?

Anonymous said...

Whenever a phone is password locked, it will still let you dial an ICE listed number. At least the phones in the past year or two.

And a $500 withdrawal would hurt me now, but in the past when I had plenty and did a lot of business and transactions along with travel, my bank raised my daily withdrawal to $4,000 and single transaction to $2,000.

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing ood and helpful article with us. I really have enjoyed all of this very cool information.
Overseas Calling

NikNak said...

Must be a very absent minded wife - I know my credit card number without checking lol

Anonymous said...

If they drained the account in that short period of time, and most banks have a fairly low daily ATM withdrawal limit....it couldn't have been a lot of money. Odds are, the bank will refund this fraud. But yes, stupid people and texting. No offense, but yea, lots of offense. Stop texting, it's for the stupid.

Anonymous said...

You only have 1 credit card? How unAmerican! ;)

Anonymous said...

ICE ='s Immigration and Customs Enforcement I actually have one of these officers in my ICE contact list.. Mainly to keep the beaners at bay in my city.

Anonymous said...

I just think that everyone should just pay close attention to there surroundings and listen to your gut it will never fell you!! And one more thing, just like God is everywhere at all times so is the devil, and remember, Lucifer (the devil) at one time was the highest Angel until he tried to take Gods place. So just pray and ask God to pertect you when you have to go out. No matter what thieves have all the time in the world to sit back and try and come up with a way to take what don't belong to then anyways!! We're suppose to build up our treasures in Heaven anyway, where thieves can't steal it, the moths can't eat it and the rust can't destroy it!! Be safe and get up in the mornings and put on the armor of God. :-)

Anonymous said...

If the pin is used, the banks liability is limited, usually to less than 500. Which means your loss, not theirs. Many banks do limit transactions thru ATM's, but with the pin, they could withdraw from the bank. And no, if you zero your account it does not close normally and there is no security alarm. Many people live paycheck to paycheck and clean out their accounts regularly.

Anonymous said...

Fraud doesn't apply if you give them your pin. The banks liability is limited, most under 500.00 some banks will only refund 50.00 or 100.00, if they believe you. So find out from your bank what their limit is. And guard your pin!!!

Anonymous said...

Who in their right minds, keeps all their money in the bank, espically, now in days!!!! Its called, buy a BIG SAFE!!!!

Anonymous said...

Ok people have you even thought that the husband could have a disability at all???? I mean really? Why argue about this when it's here just to try and help us. And thank you for telling about ICE even I didn't know about that.

Anonymous said...

I call B.S. on that for sure! My husband just sold his car to a girl who banked out of state. The ATM will have a limit, but HER bank did not! She went to 5 different ATMs and withdrew $1,000 out of each. Paid him in cash, in full, as he signed over the title! He followed her to each ATM, so there's NO doubt on the truth here! Our personal bank tends to only allow a $500 daily withdraw. It's different everywhere! P.S. ICE is for emergency benefits and could even be a cousin, no one knows. That is only important In Case of Emergency!

Anonymous said...

Really... so several people commenting here think that thieves didn't know before reading this what ICE meant. Come on..... It's an acronym that's been around for years.

Anonymous said...

If you have that kind of EMT's, you need to relocate.My wife was an EMT for 16 years and I was able to attend some of the conferences she went to. In this part of the country, robbing a patient is a quick way to lose your certification.

Anonymous said...

Sure glad I live somewhere that I don't need a bank card or an ID to withdraw money from my account. Good ole small-town, USA.

Anonymous said...

Ok then now crooks know what Ice is :(

Anonymous said...

most of the smartphone today we can set the screen text to show our ICE numbers while being locked.

1 example is the one i used, a Sony Xperia Go. Just look for it in Settings > Display.

Jill Wind said...

Ahh.. finally I found the best comment. ^_^

Should've been able to make this sticky (like Youtube's thumbs up).

«Oldest ‹Older   1 – 200 of 205   Newer› Newest»