Lookout, a leader in mobile security, is introducing ‘Theft Alerts,’ which they claim will “put the brakes on the phone theft epidemic.” Theft Alerts will now be available in the Lookout Mobile Security Premium App in the Google Play Store for Android. Theft Alerts will provide users with contextual alerts anytime suspicious activity occurs on their device – giving users this information in a timely manner may just be what the consumer needs to get their phone back. Statics now show that 68-percent of users that have their smartphone stolen are never able to recover them.
A trained theft knows exactly what to do when they steal a smartphone – the first thing they do is remove the SIM card or power off the device to prevent the owner from either calling it or tracking the device. Lookout’s Theft Alerts recognizes these actions and within minutes you will get an email with two very important pieces of information – a photo of the theft via a selfie and secondly, a map of the device’s exact location – giving you time to contact the police. There are five actions that will trigger a Theft Alert – Entering an incorrect passcode – Removing the SIM card – Enabling Airplane Mode – Turning off the device – and if Lookout is removed as device administrator.
Kevin Mahaffey, co-founder and CTO of Lookout, said, “From the day we started Lookout, we’ve dedicated ourselves to fighting smartphone theft. Today, the problem has grown so large that nearly 70% of phone theft victims never get their phone back. This is not right. That’s why we decided to build Theft Alerts, a real-time service that intelligently arms users with information they need to get their precious devices and data back.”
Lookout’s recent research shows that just over one in ten smartphone owners fall victim to phone theft. The research also shows that the five most likely places to have your smartphone stolen, in ranking order are: Restaurants – Bars/Nightclubs – While using Public Transportation – While at Work – Simply out on the street while walking…all activities in which most of us participant.
While we all hate to get our smartphone or tablet stolen simply because they are an expensive device, sometimes, the most damaging thing taken is our personal information – from banking to personal or corporate emails. Victims report that 10-percent lose confidential company data – 9-percent experience identity theft – and 12-percent experienced fraudulent charges to their account. With Theft Alerts, the victims are armed to help recover their stolen device and safeguard their personal data.
You can choose from Lookout Free or upgrade from within that App to Lookout Premium. Lookout Free provides the ability to scan all applications for malicious activities, backup the user’s call history and contacts, and help you locate a lost or stolen device. Lookout Premium includes all of the free versions functions, but adds: Additional security and protection via Privacy Advisor and Safe Browsing – Enhanced backup and restore allowing you to transfer data to a new phone – and Comprehensive theft protection with Threat Alerts and Remote Lock and Wipe. The Lookout Premium is available for $2.99 per month or $29.99 if you pay annually.
Check out the video below to see what Lookout Premium with Threat Alerts has to offer: