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UK Phone Theft Hits 29% of Adults as Police Roll Out E-Bike Patrols

London authorities have rolled out high-speed e-bikes to pursue snatchers ahead of a planned remote ‘kill switch’ to disable stolen phones.

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Young people are the most vulnerable to opportunistic phone snatchers

Overview

  • Nuke From Orbit research found that 29% of UK adults were victims of phone theft in 2024, rising from 17% the previous year.
  • Security concerns are driving 67% of consumers to limit mobile banking, email, social media and digital wallet use on their phones.
  • Metropolitan and City of London Police have introduced high-performance electric bikes to chase down opportunistic phone snatchers.
  • Only 24% of victims report thefts immediately to the police, with most contacting banks or mobile carriers first.
  • Nuke From Orbit plans to launch a remote ‘kill switch’ later this year that will let users disable stolen devices and freeze linked accounts.