New IPhone Expected to Cause Surge in "Phone Thefts"

There is a notable spike in reports of phones being stolen just as new high-spec phones are released, claims UK insurance firm, CPP. The insurance form noted that the number of phones reported missing rose by 11 per cent between last May and June alone, coinciding with the release of the new iPhone 3G. This comes as one in twenty UK mobile users admits they'd be prepared to file a dishonest claim to get their hands on a new phone. Also, one i­n five Brits believes it's easier to steal a phone than buy a new one.

With the average resale value of an unlocked iPhone reaching £300 the life assistance company warns that 'iFraudsters' could cash in with the release of the 4G handset, rumoured to hit the market in June 2010.

But while not all claims are fraudulent, phone theft remains a huge problem across the UK. Mobile users in some of the biggest UK cities should be particularly wary. Sheffield and Edinburgh came top of the phone theft hotspots in the UK with 20 per cent of people collectively having ever fallen victim. London (8 per cent of victims), Cardiff (6%) and Liverpool (6%) follow closely behind.

And it seems mobile users should closely guard their phones on Tuesday afternoons as that's the most likely time for handsets to be reported 'missing'.

A quarter of unfortunate victims who've had their phones stolen were pick-pocketed (24%). A fifth had their phone lifted from a restaurant or pub table when their back was turned and one in twenty had their phones nicked from their office desks, showing that some work colleagues are also prepared to pinch (4%).

Six in ten mobile-owners (59%) acknowledge their phone is a target because it can be sold-on easily, but 24 per cent admit their own carelessness with phones.

Despite the latest mobile phone handsets costing hundreds of pounds, (63%) have no mobile phone insurance and would be out of pocket should the worst happen. This is particularly worrying when the majority of victims (84%) don't ever get their phone back once lost or stolen.

Danny Harrison, Head of Mobile at CPP, said: "The fact that we've seen a spike in claims when the iPhone 3G hit the market confirms that for some, making a fraudulent claim is an easy way to get their hands on the latest handset.

"It may be tempting to submit a false claim, especially when so many new valuable handsets are hitting the market. But people need to be aware that it is illegal to report a lost phone as stolen property and it could result in a police conviction. We urge all mobile users to be alert to the methods that desperate criminals can resort to, to keep their mobiles secure when going out to prevent theft and avoid being careless and losing them unnecessarily."