How To Block Your Bank Account and Sim Card When Stolen– When your mobile phone or wallet with bank cards are stolen or lost, you may think that your biggest loss is the phone or cards. But there is an even bigger threat with the help of your phone or cards, the perpetrator or the person who finds your lost items can get access to your finances and even your identity.
A lot of scams are going on right now in the country and as it is the perpetrators seems to have developed ideas to gain access to bank accounts via mobile Sim cards.
According to information gathered, it has been revealed that those who steal phones now do that for two reasons: the phone itself and also access to your finances
It is no doubt that losing your phone and wallet or having them stolen can be very frustrating. However, in case that happens to you, the first thing you need to do is take care of your security. Here is how to do it. Following this steps will help you keep your data safe. Here is How To Block Your Bank Account & Sim Card When Stolen or Lost:
How To Block Your Bank Account and Sim Card When Stolen
The reason why blocking your SIM card and bank accounts is the first thing you need to do when they are stolen or lost is to keep your financial and data security safe.
1. How To Block Your Bank Account
If you have your mobile phone with you but your bank cards were stolen or you worry your financial data may be compromised in another way, you can block your bank account by simply calling a certain number on your mobile phone.
Some banks require you to call a number to block your activity, while others allow you to do it via a USSD code. Note that while you can block the account from your phone, you will need to pay a physical visit to the bank if you want to unlock it.
For every bank, the USSD code or phone number is different. You can learn the necessary code by calling your phone’s customer service line or by checking the contacts section on their website. Here are some of the numbers you can use if you want to block your bank account:
- For Zenith Bank – #966*911#
- For Zenith Bank – #966*911#
- For GTBank – *737*51*10#
- For First Bank – text “BLOCK” to 30012
- For Union Bank – text “BLOCK CARD NUBAN” to 20123
- For FCMB Bank – call + 2342798800
2. How To Block Your SIM Card
There are three primary ways to block a SIM card remotely when your phone got misplaced or stolen:
-
With Your Account
If you have an Apple or Android mobile phone, you can not only track its location, but also remotely block your phone so that no one can use it. Simply open the Find My Phone or Find My Device for iOS and Android respectively, enter your login information, and proceed with the next steps.
-
Using IMEI
IMEI is a unique identification number that is written on the inside of your mobile phone. You can also find the IMEI in the phone settings or in the box that your smartphone was shipped in. If you bought your phone used without a box, the best idea is to write down the IMEI number somewhere.
If your phone got lost and you have your IMEI number, first visit the police station to file a report. Then take the report and your ID to your service provider. They will block the phone by IMEI and the SIM card that was installed in the smartphone at the time of the loss.
-
With No IMEI
In case you didn’t save the IMEI number of your mobile phone, don’t worry – you can still block it whenever you need. You can choose to block only your SIM card – in that case, you will need to contact your service provider.
Alternatively, you can request your service provider to block the device even without the IMEI number they will request your ID and will ask a few questions to determine whether you are the original owner of the device.