Brazil breaks record of cell phone theft and theft; See how to protect your device

There is an epidemic of robbery and cell phone theft in Brazil that is getting worse. There were 508,300 robberies and 490,800 cell phone thefts recorded in the country last year.approximately 1 million events in total. This means an increase of 16.6% compared to 2021.

The information is contained in the 7th Brazilian Public Safety Yearbook, developed by the Brazilian Forum of Public Safety and published last month. We can assume that the actual number is higher, as only official data recorded by the state’s public safety units were taken into account in the survey.

São Paulo was the “leader” in this notorious record, with 346,500 cases of smartphone theftA 19% increase compared to 2021. In this worrisome scenario, efforts to contain this crime wave need to be done by manufacturers, as one industry executive admits.

“Mobile phones have a number of security solutions that few people know about. That’s why we’re working towards more publicity, while at the same time conscious that it’s our social responsibility,” argues Eduardo Santos, director of enterprise market solutions at Samsung Brazil. Technology World.

The expert states that there is a “criminal industry” in the country and thugs often take advantage of the loopholes left by users on their devices. He gives an example by arguing that:There are many people who don’t even use password to unlock their cell phone”.

The most important assets are data

Many see criminals’ interest in cell phones as an indication that the hardware is extremely valuable. In fact, police investigations show that what matters to the thugs is the data contained in the devices.

Having unlocked smartphones, Thieves use victims’ information to create bank accounts, forge documents, and commit other financial crimes. When successful, these actions bring in more money than the resale of parts and mobile phones.

Due to the interest in victims’ data and banking practices, their profiles have changed. operating style. 7. According to the Brazilian Public Safety Yearbook, although violent interactions such as robbery and theft dominated the statistics a few years ago, there is currently an increase in the number of scams and scams on the internet.

“Crime activities are on the rise in the virtual arena.”

“Criminal activities in the virtual arena are on the rise.. The typical type of criminal is no longer robbery, but becomes embezzlement and/or cyber fraud, and becomes heavily dependent on networks to retrieve stolen/stolen equipment,” says a quote from the report.

According to the Brazilian Forum of Public Safety, The number of electronic frauds increased by 65.2% last year compared to 2021resulted in the repetition of the genre 200,000 times.

New forms of protection

With the rise of crimes involving one of the most important electronic devices for any citizen, it is important to warn the public that it is possible to defend oneself against various types of crimes. Santos points out that the security dimension is an indisputable element when it comes to Samsung.

“We currently have a market share of over 50 percent” [fatia de mercado] in Brazil. In other words, more than 50 out of 100 mobile phones belong to Samsung. That’s why building security solutions is a huge concern,” he argues.

To reinforce this issue, Samsung launched the Galaxy Pad in Brazil about a month ago. It is a special remote blocking service for mobile phones of the brand that renders banking applications, social networks, messages and other applications inaccessible after robbery, theft or loss that may expose user data.

The Galaxy Padlock for models manufactured from 2019 is free only for high-end mobile phones such as Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, as well as all S23 and S22 series. For the remainder, a fee of BRL 39.90 for one year of protection or BRL 59.90 for two years of protection is charged.

When asked why he paid for such an important solution, the Samsung executive argues that there is a financial problem with the operation.

“Samsung has a call center that is costly to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We know that the price of R$39.90 a year is low in terms of the benefits it can bring. Not to mention that sometimes people don’t value freebies. They usually remember the service when they pay” justifies it.

Santos says the commitment to Cadeado Galaxy has been very good and has already received “thousands” of signatures, which “exceeds expectations”. He explained that he intends to keep the solution at the top of the line launched in the coming years, and that discussions are ongoing regarding the implementation of the innovation in Latin American markets such as Peru, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Colombia.

As for the backstage of the project; The representative of the South Korean giant says that the Cadeado Galaxy is a Brazilian invention and that the security options already available in the enterprise market have been translated for its customers.. The project was published in eight months after it was designed. He said Samsung’s headquarters in Korea is difficult to convince, as the giant company has suggested that other security technologies are already available.

“For the future, we’re working with partners to bring the Galaxy Pad to an even larger audience. That’s why we’re talking to banks, insurance companies, and retailers to further expand the solution,” he says.

Other security solutions

In addition to the new Galaxy Padlock, Samsung has several layers of security in its devices. These include Secure Folder, where you can protect apps with passwords, and SmartThings Find, which lets you find any Galaxy device even when its internet is turned off.

Then check out the security best practices not only for Samsung phones but also for other brands.

apple

Apple has systems like Pasta Secreta on the iPhone and Security check It shows what is shared with whom. The user can decide, for example, whether he wants to stop the sharing of information.

Cell phones and other branded devices also have access to encryption from tools such as: Data securityHelps protect information from unauthorized access.

Stolen, stolen or lost devices are still Searchable on the map using the search system. If Find My iPhone is turned off, the user can check how to protect his Apple account by entering this website.

Motorola’s

Motorola’s main protection tools include the Moto Secure security center. Through this resource, available on devices with Android 13, it is possible to: e.g. enable the secure folder and prevent Wi-Fi or 4G/5G networks from being turned off.

Xiaomi

Naturally, Xiaomi devices have one important function: app lock To prevent unwanted people from accessing your banking services, messengers and other accounts.

Blocking can be enabled in settings. Just go to Apps > App Lock > Activate > Add Mi Account > Select apps to open with fingerprint only.

In the event of robbery, theft or loss, Mi Seal still allows you to locate devices. Thanks to the “find device” function, users can block and even delete all data stored on the mobile phone, in addition to continuing to give sound signals. All features can be accessed by logging into the company’s website.

other mobile phones

Cell phones from other manufacturers have proprietary solutions, but they also rely on Google tools. The “find your smartphone” tool allows, for example, to track a mobile device, wipe data, lock and beep. If the model is Android, the service also allows you to delete all data.

However, in order to do all this, you need to have a registered Google account, the lost mobile phone must be turned on, the GPS must be active, and the 4G or 5G connection must be turned on.

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