28-05-2025
Huge surge in phone theft prompts call for urgent action
Huge surge in phone theft prompts call for urgent action
Some users are now reluctant to make the most of phone features
A thief stealing a smart phone from a man's back pocket
New research has found a sharp rise in smartphone theft across the country as 29% of people have now experienced phone theft, up from 17% a year ago. The surge is prompting phone users to scale back their use of mobile banking, email, social media and digital wallets.
67% of consumers say they are most concerned about unauthorised access to their bank cards or accounts, according to the research by Nuke From Orbit. 'The findings are deeply worrying,' said James O'Sullivan, CEO of Nuke From Orbit. 'In the past 18 months, we've seen a perfect storm: thefts are rising, personal security is lacking, and users are stuck in risky habits. It's unacceptable that nearly one in three people have had their phone stolen. The current solutions - and the police response - simply do not match the scale of the problem.'
Nearly half of people say they use their phones in public several times a day - a figure that rises to 71% among 18–25-year-olds, making them easy targets for opportunistic thieves. And many victims are reluctant to report the crime.
Nuke From Orbit is calling for stronger, more coordinated action on smartphone safety. The Rising Threat of Smartphone Theft: Consumer Behaviour and Security Challenges report highlights the need for improved consumer education, closer collaboration between tech providers and law enforcement and more integrated security solutions to better protect users and their data.
James has been actively engaging with stakeholders, from meeting with officials at Downing Street to working alongside ethical hackers to identify system vulnerabilities, pushing for faster progress across the sector.
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'We need to shift how we approach smartphone safety,' he added. 'With greater awareness and stronger protections, we can reduce the impact of this growing threat and help prevent it altogether.
