Lost my cell phone in Rio yesterday........

@Gasparzinho 777 You are right about it being in a middle to large city. I live in a very small village of about 2,500 in Northeast Brazil. When I lost my cell phone coming from the community park my wife developed to our compound across the road, I also lost my phone. The difference is that we had a lot of the community looking for it when I did, and we finally found it together. The other day after I had watched the American Presidential Debate on NBC and fell asleep at the end (no comment), when I woke-up, I realized that it was about 3am and I had not even closed my door, forget about locked it. At my age I am very comfortable living the small village life.

Roddie in Retirement

@gasparzhinho777, dang.... I don't have the latest and flashiest phone but I don't know what I would do if I lost my phone.... 

I started reading the news on various regions of Brazil (news.google.com.br) as a way for me to increase my portuguese vocabulary.  I see many videos of people being held up with guns asking for their phones.  Clearly not something worth dying for.

I keep my phone in my pocket and out of sight when in Brazil.  I don't get to take as many photos as I want but at least, I don't attract attention.

@roddiesho, would definitely love to live in a place where I don't have to lock my doors.  But I don't have Simba to be my backup... 

Leaving a door or window open without any other way to deter someone from entering is just inviting trouble.  I don't know if you have heard but in the US, there is an industry known as crime-tourism.  In the end, dealing with burglars will be just like dealing with a bear, you should just be slightly better than your neighbor.  However, home security is another topic that will probably need its separate thread.

"Dang ??!!" KKKKKKK that was rather mild and not what I said actually.....practice the following to enhance your street vocabulary........"caralho porra"........

Brasílian media loves to make a big deal about street crime here. I thought I was going to be robbed and killed back in February 2000 during my first trip. There are 240MM peeps in the country and 15MM in Rio alone. Stats will be what they are. I feel totally safe here, but, I also don't traffic drugs in Morro de Alemao at midnight. Ignore Datena and his "Brasil Urgente" TV show KKKKKKKK

@Gasparzinho 777 A friend lost his phone today. He emailed me, the only person in Brazil that he could reach without WhatsApp. Sounded like he needed a bottle of Merlot 

Funny eh ? It's like most of the country runs on What's App, or, "Zappy Zap" as they call it. I've got 3 things on the go right now and they are all using it (bankers, lawyers, vendors, etc) so, as I refuse to use it, I reply only thru other means.

@Gasparzinho 777 I’m switching from iPhone to Samsung. Do I need a disaster recovery plan for a lost or stolen Samsung phone?

I'd just make sure the network provider had an office near where you lived in case you ended up like I did. Walk in and get them to brick it in 2 minutes.

As for the hardware I've used, Samsung has been good to me for 12+ years now. They are super durable if dropped and reliable.

My wife is an Apple junkie OTOH

A bit late for the OP, but here's what I do.

I thought having my phone stolen was a bad idea because of the cost and hassle, so I make sure it can't get lost or stolen.

I have a belt pouch for my phones. If it get touched, I can feel it easily.

In crowds, I keep a hand or arm on it.

I never have to put my phone down - When the phone isn't in use, it gets put back into the pouch.

As an extra, my wallet goes into my front pocket and has a safety line. It's totally impossible to get a hand into my front pocket without me noticing, so only a really sexy girl has any hope of robbing me.

A sexy man could, but only if I was having a dry spell, ducky.

@Gasparzinho 777 once it's been reported if they try to register or use it then cops will have them. They ha e over a 90% recovery rate. Make sure you report it. Mine slipped out of a Toinda cab n kid broke into my cell. Got it back but all was wiped. Took me 2 days to recuperate n lost urs n gigs of data.

@Cserebogar

Thanks, but it would be a waste of my time doing that in Rio. I don't need the PM laughing at the stupid gringo as it's simply not coming back. My wife had a VW Gol stolen off a public street between 2-400 PM one day back in 2008. Cops told her to complete the report and go to her insurance and that she should assume her car is already in a thousand pieces or on it's way to Paraguay KKKKKKKKKKKK

I was due for an upgrade anyways.

10/06/24 @Gasparzinho 777.  Probably true in most major Brazilian cities:  the police are simply overwhelmed. 

@abthree I lost my passport in Ilhéus last year. I reluctantly reported the loss to the police, thinking that was a waste of my time. My passport was returned a week later.

@Alan 279

You have no choice if you are Canadian in that regard. No police report for the Canadian consulate........."no replacement passport for you".

@Gasparzinho 777 I reported the loss of my American passport to the police in Ilhéus and I picked up my passport a week later at the tourist police station.

Ah OK........you waited to see if showed up locally first.

@Fred like your post I have been pickpocket in Argentina. I did get back my wallet quickly without anything taken. Here what I know a little of my background. I was the past president of the Magicians Society so I know how most tricks work. One is pickpocket here what you’ll need to look for the bump and run. Most pickpockets work in 2 or 3 people. First move is in a crowded venue one person will bump into you on the side opposite your front pocket wallet. The other will get it out of your pocket. I know this works because this what they did to me. But I recognize pattern and call them out. The person who picked my wallet had handed it off to a boy. He got so scared he left my wallet on a bench post. The people around me pointed it out to me. Hope this helps