How to Clear Personal Information Off Old Cell Phones
When you think about protecting your personal information, your concerns are probably concentrated on Internet security, as well as cleaning off the hard drives of old computers. What you may not realize is, the amount of personal information your cell phone can contain: credit card account numbers, passwords, and even private text messages. Granted, not everyone is interested in the information on your old cell phone. And, not everyone has the knowledge of electronics to retrieve the information. But, why risk having one or more of your credit card accounts run up with fraudulent charges? And, do you really want to see your personal text messages posted on the Internet?
To give you an actual example of this, I recently found a cell phone on the street. It didn’t work when I hit the power button, but still, I tossed it into my purse so I could locate its owner later. I wasn’t about to let it lie on the street or toss it into a trash can where a thief could get hold of it.
All it took was a wire and some flashlight batteries, and the cell phone came alive. I felt like I was invading someone’s privacy as I looked through the information on the phone. But, I’m not a thief. My intentions was honest. I simply wanted to locate the owner’s name and home phone number. Among all kinds of personal information, I found the contact information I needed. I called the woman and she was ecstatic to get her cell phone back, even though she had already replaced the lost phone with a new one. This is just a prime example of the personal information that people keep on their cell phones, whether they realize it or not.
Every time you switch over to using a new cell phone, you should immediately clear the personal information off your old cell phone. Even if you’re not going to recycle your old cell phone, and you just stick it away in a drawer. For your protection, the personal information needs to be deleted so you don’t have to worry about the phone falling into the wrong hands.
The first thing to do when you retire an old cell phone, is to go in and manually clear out any contact numbers you have listed. Refer to the manufacturer’s instruction guide so you don’t forget to delete any other personal information too. If you don’t have your guide, then you can still log onto the Internet to find the information you need. Just log onto the Cell Phone Data Eraser website. You’ll simply need to key in the brand and model of your cell phone to get the instructions you need.
If your cell phone has a SIM card, take that out too. SIM cards are placed in all cell phones that work on a GSM network. Phones that usually contain these cards are sold by companies like T-Mobile, TracFone, and Cingular. If you’re not sure what it looks like or where you can find it, the SIM card is a slim, rectangular card that’s usually located behind the battery.
SIM cards contain your cell phone number, contacts, and other personal information. They are an identification card for that specific phone. Without the card, the phone cannot be linked to your cell phone account.
And finally, many charities take donations of old cell phones that still work. They say they will “clear” your phone out or delete your personal information before they use your phones. But don’t take that chance! Right after you stop using your old cell phone, clear your personal information off of it and protect yourself!
