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Martin Lewis Urges Phone Users To Dial *#06# and Lock Down Devices After Reported Theft Surge

Lewis frames the steps as a way to protect banking data during a reported surge in phone thefts.

Overview

  • He advises dialing *#06# to display the phone’s IMEI, then screenshotting and storing it so it can be provided to police if the device is stolen.
  • Users are urged to disable lock‑screen preview notifications to stop two‑factor authentication codes from being read without unlocking the phone.
  • He recommends enabling biometric security on both the handset and banking apps to add an extra barrier to account access.
  • People are told to turn on device‑tracking services such as Apple’s Find My, Samsung’s SmartThings, or Google’s Find My Device, and to suspend payments if a phone goes missing.
  • Lewis cited roughly a 40% rise in thefts targeting financial data, a figure presented on his ITV show and repeated by outlets without separate official verification.