Boston police are warning people to be vigilant after a series of cellphone thefts officials say have resulted in financial accounts being compromised.
Police did not elaborate on the number of phone thefts reported or where they occurred, but said victims had reported fraudulent charges and withdrawn funds.
The department offered the following tips to keep your data secure:
- Lock your device with a passcode
- Enable passcode features on financial apps.
- Be aware of your surroundings and make sure no one watches you enter passwords.
- Don't store usernames and passwords on your device for automatic logins.
- Sign out of apps when you are finished using them.
If your phone is stolen, police also suggest immediately securing it remotely by enabling "lost mode," wipe all data from the device and contact the authorities. Any passwords connected to the stolen device should also be changed — even for apps with two-factor authentication, as your email and texts may be accessed on the device.
