You probably read that title and a lot of thoughts ran through your mind (Phone tracking in Nigeria?)

“Finally, I can’t believe it took so long”

“Is this another scam, can you track phones in this country”

“How can you track when they will just flash your phone”

If you had the first thought, you have probably been a victim of phone theft or know people who have. If it was the second, you have probably been a victim of a phone tracking scam or know someone who has. And if you are the last thought, you probably have heard too many stories about flashing.

Mobile phone theft in Nigeria

Despite the varying opinions, the fact is that phone theft is an epidemic. Millions of phones are stolen in Nigeria every year. Think about that, by the time you finish reading this post at least one person would have their device stolen. The inconvenience of losing your phone is one that can not be put into words. All contacts gone, valuable memories on your phone (pictures and videos), and even valuable documents.


How effective is it to track phone with IMEI?

One of the ways to track a device is through the IMEI of the phone. If you know your IMEI, you can report your phone stolen to the police, and let them do the tracking. You can also use IMEI tracking apps, which you will need to install on your phone before the theft incident happens. Your network provider can also track your phone via the IMEI. In other countries, phones are blacklisted (meaning they can’t be used to call), after they are reported stolen. Tracking your phone with your IMEI after the phone has been stolen with an app is virtually impossible.

Hassles of tracking with law enforcement agencies

If you decide to go to the police to report your phone there are a lot of hassles or wahala involved. After you report details of the crime and your device to the police, you still have to pay a fee. Usually this is not cheap, sometimes as high as getting another device. This doesn’t include the cost of their transportation, and refreshments they will ask for. They usually call this their mobilization fee, and you have to pay if you want them to “do their work.” Which is usually just looking busy and not producing results. They are mostly out to get as much as they can from you. And those who have been able to get their phones back, are just lucky.

Are there protections smartphone users can get to track their devices?

Imagine for a second that you just lost your phone, or it was stolen. Would you be able to replace it with the same model easily? If you can, then you are one of the lucky few. Most Nigerians are not able to replace their devices with the same model. They are often forced to downgrade models or purchase London used phones at cheap prices. And it has been reported that London-used phones are phones stolen in Nigeria. Increase in demand for smartphones, has also led to the increase in phone theft. Phone theft incidents occur in every scenario imaginable. You may have heard of the famous incident where top Nigerian dignitaries had their devices stolen at events. It is that rampant.

Victims of phone theft are often met with a lack of empathy. They are blamed for being careless, being at the wrong place, or not being observant. Some people have been killed because they struggle with phone thieves. While this may seem absurd, imagine someone who has spent their life savings on a new device. They are so excited, they use it for everything, it becomes an integral part of their lives. Sounds familiar? That’s what our phones mean to us, we can’t do without them. Now, let’s imagine that phone is taken away. How would you feel? Pretty bad, right? At the point of the theft, you can not blame the people for reacting the way they do. Now if they had a tracking application on their device would they react differently? Probably.

There are many of such solutions out there, I am sure that’s what you are thinking. I know you may be thinking of Find my phone from Samsung and Apple. But they do have their limitations, they are good for wiping out the information on your device. But if you want to attempt recover, all you see is a pin dropped in a location with no address. How do they expect you to get it back? I have no clue. You might also refer to the application installed for you when you buy your phone at a retail store. Have you ever tried to use the application after you have paid the so-called engineers who install them? Most likely not.

A new way to track a phone in Nigeria

A solution is out there that has been built for the Nigerian market. Most of us turn off our data often, in the name of saving it. Imagine your phone is stolen when the data is off. All you can do is hope that they turn it back on eventually. But imagine there was an app on your phone which could allow you send a simple text message to it, and you get the location of the device back. Does that sound like magic? It isn’t. The PINS App available on Pins Mobile Security Website, does just that. You are able to enjoy this benefit and so much more. You can:

See the face of whoever stole your phone when they put in the wrong password
Monitor the calls and messages they send
You can even wipe out the data on your device by just sending an SMS as well so they can’t access your sensitive information
These are just some of the benefits you get with the PINS App. You now have another way to get your phone back, and reduce the problem that is phone theft. Imagine a society where all stolen phones could be retrieved by their owners, then phone theft becomes a worthless crime to commit. It is easy and it is achievable, get the PINS App and be a part of the movement.

Post Source
https://pinssolutions.com.ng/2019/05/13/how-to-track-a-missing-phone-in-nigeria/