What to do if…
your phone is stolen and you are worried about account access

What to do now

1. Lock the phone remotely if you can.

   • iPhone: use Find My or iCloud.com/find to mark the device as lost. Erase it if you believe the phone cannot be recovered, but remember remote erase cannot be undone.
   • Android: use Find Hub to mark the device as lost, lock it, or erase it if needed. These options may only work if the phone has power, is connected, is signed in, and had Find Hub enabled.
   • If the map shows a location that feels unsafe, do not go there. Focus on locking the device and protecting accounts.

2. Call your wireless carrier.

   • Tell them the phone was stolen and you are worried about account access.
   • Ask them to disable service or suspend the SIM/eSIM.
   • Ask whether they can block the device by IMEI.
   • Ask them to add or confirm a strong carrier account PIN or passphrase and any port-out or SIM-swap protections.

3. Secure your email account first.

   • From a device you trust, change your email password.
   • Use the email account’s security page to review devices, sessions, recovery phone numbers, and recovery email addresses.
   • Sign out other sessions if that option is available.
   • Check for forwarding rules, filters, or recovery details you do not recognize.

4. Secure your Apple or Google account next.

   • Change the account password from a trusted device.
   • Review trusted devices and recent security activity.
   • Remove the stolen phone as a trusted device where appropriate, but do not remove a stolen iPhone from Find My or your Apple Account until you understand the Activation Lock and claim consequences.
   • Save any recovery codes or backup sign-in options somewhere safe.

5. Cut off access to money and payment apps.

   • Call your bank and card issuers if banking, card, or payment apps were signed in on the phone.
   • Ask them to review recent activity and restrict, reset, or remove mobile access tied to the stolen device if needed.
   • If you used a mobile wallet, ask the card issuer whether the payment card can be removed or suspended from that device.

6. Protect accounts that can reset other accounts.

   • Secure your password manager, authenticator app, social accounts, shopping accounts, and messaging apps.
   • Use “sign out of all devices” where available.
   • Change passwords for accounts that show unusual activity or that can be used to reset other accounts.

7. Make a short incident note.

   • Write down the time and place the phone was stolen, the phone model, carrier, phone number, and any IMEI, serial number, or police report number you have.
   • List the highest-risk apps that were signed in, such as email, banking, cards, password manager, authenticator, messaging, and cloud storage.
   • Save screenshots of login alerts or fraud notices from a safe device.

8. Consider a local police report.

   • Use your local police department’s reporting route if you want an official theft record.
   • A report number may help with a carrier, insurance, device claim, or later fraud dispute.
   • Do not delay the carrier, email, and bank steps while trying to complete the report.

9. Use the federal identity theft route if the problem has moved beyond the phone.

   • If someone opens accounts, changes your details, uses your identity, or you see broader fraud, go to IdentityTheft.gov.
   • Follow the site’s step-by-step recovery plan or checklist.