News 2002
Virgin Mobiles teams up with the met to crack down on mobile phone
20/03/2002
Following the Government’s discussions on street crime this morning, Virgin Mobile, the UK’s fifth network, announces that it is to become the first mobile phone network to announce a scheme, in association with the Metropolitan Police, to help consumers protect their phones from increasing mobile crime and trap and deter mobile phone thieves.
From Monday 25th March mobile phone users, irrespective of their network, will be able to go to one of 12 Virgin Megastores or 20 V.SHOPs in the London area and have their phones marked for free with a personal property code using permanent UVID (ultra-violet identification) pens. This makes the phone instantly identifiable if it is stolen and subsequently recovered. Leaflets will be available in-store warning that phones are being marked with UVID to deter would-be thieves. They will also be encouraging consumers to note down the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identification) number of their phone, so that it can be supplied to the police or network if their phone is stolen. Virgin Mobile hopes to roll out this scheme nationally if demand rises.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens said: “Mobile phone theft now accounts for approximately 50% of street crime and so we are pleased that Virgin Mobile is taking an active role in the Safer Streets campaign and seeking to improve in their customers safety.”
Sir Richard Branson comments: “We were horrified at the leap in mobile-phone related crime and want to do everything that we can to protect the consumer and educate them with regards to mobile phone safety. Virgin Mobile has always been a security conscious network and we hope that with these new steps and the continued efforts we are making to improve security across the industry, the main incentive to steal a mobile will have been lost and crime will be much reduced."
