Snatch Guard App Store

Phone theft, explained.

Practical guides on what to do when a phone is snatched, how to make yours not worth stealing, and the numbers behind the crime wave. Written and fact-checked by the creator of Snatch Guard.

After a theft

After a theft

How to block a stolen phone's IMEI in the UK: EE, O2, Vodafone, Three

Call your network, ask for a SIM block and an IMEI blacklist, and the handset stops working on every UK network. Carrier-by-carrier steps, plus how to find your IMEI after the phone is gone.

Updated 7 July 2026

 After a theft

Phone stolen in London: what to do in the first hour

Mark it as lost from any device, freeze your cards, block the SIM and IMEI, report to the Met for a crime reference number, then lock down your accounts — in that order, with exact links.

Updated 7 July 2026

Data & research

Data & research

London phone theft statistics

71,391 phones were reported stolen in London in 2025 — about 196 a day — and 2026 is falling faster. Yearly trend, London vs the rest of the UK, hotspots, where stolen phones go, and full sources. Updated quarterly.

Updated 7 July 2026