Old phones risk data theft

risk of credit card fraud when they sell on used phones without deleting their personal information, new research shows, reports Compare Prepaid.

A new report from CPP reveals that people are selling their personal information to complete strangers when they fail to destroy the SIM card in their second-hand mobile phone.

This information includes credit and debit card PIN numbers, bank account details, passwords, phone numbers, company information and log in details to social networking sites.

Over half (54%) of second-hand mobile phones contain extensive personal data which could lead to identity fraud.

Backup Technology adds that many of the security concerns regarding computers are now applicable to mobile phones as they become increasingly sophisticated, as emphasised by Joe Nocera, information security expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Researchers at CPP bought an assortment of phones and used SIM cards. The results were clear: 207 pieces of separate pieces of information were discovered on 19 of the 35 phones in addition to 27 of the 50 SIM cards.

CPP has urged bank account customers to do more than just manually deleting data on a phone. They could, for example, remove and destroy the SIM card - so it can't be used again, reports Think Money.