If your phone is lost, do this in order: suspend the SIM, remote-lock the phone, change passwords, report to police, freeze bank cards

Order matters more than speed. Step one, suspend the SIM, and the verification-code lifeline is cut. Then remote-lock the phone, change email and payment passwords from a computer, report to police for a receipt, and freeze bank cards as needed. Without your phone, you can still call the carrier from someone else’s phone to suspend the line.

Cost

No cost. The full sequence takes about ten minutes.

Benefit

Order matters more than speed. First, suspend the SIM so others cannot receive your verification codes. Second, remote-lock the phone and wipe its contents. Third, from a computer, change email and payment passwords. Fourth, report to police and get a receipt. Last, freeze bank cards as needed. The US Federal Communications Commission also says that even if you think you only misplaced the phone, remote-lock it; if it was stolen, report to police at once with model and IMEI (the phone’s identity number), and tell the carrier immediately

Notes

Save the customer service numbers for the three major carriers in advance: China Mobile 10086, China Unicom 10010, China Telecom 10000. Also note which city you registered the number in; customer service will ask. You can suspend the line from another person’s phone the same way.

Sources · 2

1. US FCC. Protect Your Smart Device. fcc.gov/consumers/guides/protect-your-mobile-…
2. 步骤顺序是作者经验；补办身份证见第 7 节，冒名贷款见第 8 节关于征信的一条