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According to Get Safe Online’s research, 67% of people accessing the web from their mobiles do not use the password or PIN function to secure their handsets. Combined with all the other information they store, such as home telephone numbers, family names and personal emails, smartphone users can be particularly vulnerable to fraud if the device falls into the wrong hands.  

Get Safe Online’s research indicates that as many as one in five smartphone owners have lost or had their handsets stolen. The research also found:

·         over one in four (28%) internet users use a smartphone to access the internet,

       rising to 50% amongst 18-24 year olds. Of these:

·         71% use their phones to send emails or use messaging applications;

·         56% view and update their social networking profiles;

·         1 in 5 (20%) synchronise their handsets to a personal computer;

·         almost 1 in 5 (19%) use their mobiles to make purchases online; and

·         over 1 in 6 (16%) manage their finances, including banking and paying bills

Get Safe Online has now released advice for smartphone users. Rapid growth in the use of smartphones, along with applications that allow web users to bank, shop and social network on the move, means that online identity fraud risks associated with personal computers and laptops are becoming increasingly relevant to mobile handsets.

Cabinet Office Minister, Angela Smith said: “More and more of us are using the internet when out and about. People often ensure their home computer is secure but forget to take the same measures in protecting their mobile phones.”  

Tony Neate, managing director of GetSafeOnline.org, explains: “Smartphones are a great way to make the most of the web and it’s easy to see why they are so popular. However, users must remember that they are essentially carrying around a tiny laptop with a wealth of personal information that is very attractive to fraudsters.”

Jack Wraith, Chair of the Mobile Industry Crime Action Forum (MICAF), adds: “..we all have an important role to play in making sure we don’t make life easy for fraudsters. As such, we very much welcome today’s advice from Get Safe Online, which reinforces the steps being taken by law enforcement, Government and the mobile phone industry to stop criminals in their tracks.”  

Get Safe Online offers the following top tips for safer surfing on the move:

·         Be ‘password smart’

·         Guard personal details

·         Stick with reputable sites and applications

·         Protect against malicious software

·         Remember, it’s not ‘just a phone’

·         Be prepared for loss or theft

More information can be found on the Get Safe Online website.

The 2009 Get Safe Online Survey, independently carried out by ICM Research during October 2009, interviewed 1,520 adults over the age of 18 with access to the internet.