On a fateful Monday evening, while returning from campus, my friend and I decided to grab some snacks and continue our study session at home. When I reached into my jacket, I realised to my shock that my phone – which I often used to make most of my payments, was nowhere to be found! After a few minutes of anxiously rummaging through my bag and pockets, I was certain that my phone was lost. What concerned me more was that my phone was linked to my bank card and could easily be used for criminal activities. But instead of speculating about what happened to my phone, and whether it was simply misplaced or pickpocketed, I set out to protect my data and prevent my phone from being compromised further.
Firstly, using my friend’s phone, I called the emergency helpline for my UK-based bank, which is open 24/7, and asked them to immediately block my card and send me a replacement. I was told that this would take about five working days. But in the cashless society that we live in, I did not carry much cash with me to last this long. To my relief, my friend told me that with some identity documents and my UK address, I could simply go to my nearest bank branch and withdraw some cash for use. I used this cash to top up my Oyster Card and was all set to travel and pay for things!
The next step was to wipe out data from my old phone. Thankfully, I had set up biometric authentication methods for my Android phone, so I would be notified of any attempts to unlock it. This also meant that I could remotely erase my phone’s data using another device signed into my Google account, which was my laptop. Using the “Find my Phone” feature on Google, I was able to see that my phone was last active in the busy streets of Holborn, and presumably, this was the last time I had used it. After ascertaining that no one had tried to unlock my phone, I removed my Google account from the device, meaning that all my data would be wiped out.
It’s important to note that since Two Factor Authentication (TFA) methods require additional steps to log in, just knowing your password isn’t enough. In my case, I had my Google Authenticator App and phone number verification as my second “factors” in my login process. But without a phone with installed apps and a SIM with my UK number, I wasn’t able to access either of these. Therefore, I called my phone network provider up, and with a simple identity check, was able to block my old SIM and pick up a replacement at the store.
Now, the only thing remaining was to get a new phone. Using my bank account details, I was able to make the most of my Amazon Prime Student membership and ordered a new phone that arrived the very next day!
Once I got my replacement phone, I was also able to regain access to my LSE account. I immediately set up the Microsoft Authenticator App as an additional TFA login method, as well as my personal email address. This ensured that I could retain access to my LSE accounts without having to verify my phone number whenever I tried to log in!
I was very thankful to have backed up my phone to my Google account and set up TFA methods as advised by the LSE Tech Support Team early on in the academic year. This ensured that I was able to quickly turn my situation around and recover my lost data. Of course, as an international student with only one UK-based bank account, and with family far away to be of any help, it was a very stressful situation to be in, especially in busy cities such as London where theft is common. In fact, my friend herself had her phone stolen last year, and many other international students find themselves in similar predicaments. However, with a few preventative and backup measures, students can quickly respond to such incidents and protect their data and privacy.
