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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

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Act Fast on a Stolen Cell Phone

by tacogirl 24/09/2016
written by tacogirl 24/09/2016
Cell Phone in Belize

As many of you know, Monday night the unthinkable happened and my phone was stolen out of my bag. It went down so fast it made my head spin. I was walking on the north on the west side of back street and right at the parking lot between the Artists Market and San Pedro House of Culture.

I did not have my cell phone out at all and I had my music player in my hand so my arm was up and mostly covering my bag. Along came Evil Houdini riding his bike at a good clip. While passing me from the front, he somehow managed to reach in my bag without slowing down or even touching me – that part is still baffling. The only reason I knew something happened was that my strap is adjustable and so his motion knocked one part of the strap off my shoulder and my bag dropped lower, it was also fully open compared to partly before. I spun around and he was already gone.

I was not scared or shaken, this is because I had already survived a bicycle thief trying to do a snatch and grab. You can read about it in Romance to Reality and my showdown with a robber. That time I was definitely shaken up and my friends saw it as soon as I reached Crazy Canucks minutes later. This time around had the thief been 5 seconds slower I would have pushed him over hard because there were people around and I felt safe.

I was definitely bummed out though, my $700 Nexus 6p 128 gb phone was less than 6 months old, a replacement for my 32gb Nexus 5x that had died. Having recently witnessed how well my friend Aimee weathered the storm of her phone going missing in Mexico inspired me to suck it up.

If Your Cell Phone Gets Stolen Act Fast

Here is what to do for a stolen cell phone in Belize and more specifically on Ambergris Caye. Some of the tips will work anywhere. In my case it happened in the blink of an eye so I really did not get any details of the guy or even his bike color.

  • I went to the police immediately and made a report. They were very nice and even let me use their phone to call BTL and immediately stop my sim card.
  • Next I came home and changed my gmail password so my email and google drive are inaccessible. Then I changed Facebook which also logged me off of messenger.
  • After that I started researching tracking a stolen Android phone (see info and links below)

Other Places To Report Your Phone Missing

While it may be a long shot to get your phone back there are 6 places in town 5 of which unlock or sell used phones. So there is a chance someone will try to get it unlocked here if the rat bastard crook does not take it off the island to sell it.

  • Extreme Geeks on Middle Street. I stopped there to report my phone on the way to the Police station.
  • Sea Turtle on Middle Street. Went there the next day with my info.
  • Sherz store on Back Street. I contacted her on FB messenger soon as I got home from the police. She was the first to ask me for the IMEI serial number.
  • C’s Phones on Back Street. They verified that changing my passwords would block anyone from my apps once phone got unlocked.
  • Island Movie does not unlock or buy any used cell phones.
  • 3 Brothers Pawn Shop on Pelican Street. It is a given crooks may try to unload a stolen phone at a pawn shop.

The day after, I wrote all my information down on paper and walked over to Gecko Graphics to print copies. I walked to each of the places above and handed them a copy. In addition to the IMEI, they can verify my phone unlocked by swipe and my fingerprints. I told them all if my phone turns up please stall the person and call the police. I would have said rat bastard but I am guessing the thief would have sold it locked to some unsuspecting person.

If you do not know where you IMEI number is do yourself a favor, find it now and put it in a safe place in case you need it. As a further backup, email yourself a copy that way you have access to it no matter where you are.

Tracking a Stolen Android Phone

Use Android Device Manager from your laptop to try and find the location of your phone. Unfortunately it did not pick up my phone, although it did show it was last synced 1 hour ago. According to one page I read I may have screwed myself a bit as my thought process was in protection mode and I changed my passwords immediately, when I should have tried to track it first. Although upon further reading I have found android cell tracking is hit or miss so I cannot worry about it.

I was able to hit an erase button and that will do a factory reset button as soon as my phone is turned on and unlocked. I hesitated for a second in doing this and then my brain kicked in to reality. On the odd chance I get my phone back what is the big deal of a few missing apps and pictures when I just lost my whole phone? – Silly me.

In further reading I learned that Android Device Manager was mainly designed as a way to stop your data from getting stolen by remotely wiping the phone.

I also learned that there is a ring option in device manager in case you loose your phone at home. Pushing it will make your device ring at full volume for 5 minutes. Of course I did that consecutively for about 1/2 hour and hopefully I pissed off the thief with a bit of nonstop ringing phone action 😀

Remotely Ring, Lock, or Erase a Lost Android Device

Here are a few good links I found in my research, some are for tracking a lost or stolen android phone and some are for beefing up your protection in advance.

Android Authority has a good write up on How to find a lost or stolen android phone. It gives good advice for beefing up your protection.

Since I had a few pages open I decided to see what other useful advice there was to share with people reading this post.

If you or a friend lose a device that is signed in to a Google Account, you can use Android Device Manager to Remotely ring, lock, or erase a lost device that device.

PC World tells you how to Protect your Android phone from loss or theft. This page gives more information on preventive measures to set your phone up in case the unthinkable happens and it gets stolen.

Advanced sign-in security for your Google account. Learn how to set 2-step verification. This makes it harder for thieves as it requires two independent factors for authentication, much like you might see on your banking website: your password, plus a code obtained using your phone.

Lets you remotely track, lock, and erase the data on a lost or stolen phone. It’s one of those services that you wish you’d never have to use, but you should set it up just in case. It never hurts to be prepared. Find your phone: the ultimate guide to Android Device Manager.

There are a few ways to remote control and track your phone even if you haven’t installed a recovery app before it vanished.How To Track Your Lost Android Phone Without Installed Tracking App.

This anti-theft feature makes it basically impossible for a thief to use your Nexus phone in the event it is stolen and wiped. [Guide] What Is Android 5.1’s Anti-Theft “Device Protection” Feature And How Do I Use It?

Featured image at top of page courtesy of cbsistatic.

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tacogirl

Laurie Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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Laurie was super helpful in providing places to eat, things to do and best yet had ongoing blogs that allowed us to... look back on other places that she pointed out. A fantastic resource for both first time and return visitors of Ambergris Caye!read more
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Fantastic service .I needed to find a place where I could buy a local sim card as my UK sim doesnt work in belize and... Tacogirl put me on the right path .Decided to walk across town and discovered so much more in beautiful San Pedro.Many thanks.BWread more
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We have been using TacoGirl for what feels like decades when planning our trips to Belize! It has only been a few... years but she is the first place we stop to see what is happening in our favorite vacation spot. She knows all the best spots to get away and do so many fun things - whether it is relaxing or exploring! We are planning our next trip with our twins and she was the first person I reached out to. Knowing we have a resource like her, makes trip planning a breeze!read more
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Found tacogirl while doing some research on an upcoming trip to Belize. This is the place for all the information you... need to plan your vacation. Incredibly helpful and responsive. I sent an email with lots of questions and received a very quick and detailed response that helped us finalize our plans.read more
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We have been following TacoGirl for years now and before booking any trip to San Pedro we check to see what is... currently happening. We love the emails to let us know when a new blog has been posted. Keep up the great work Laurie, we feel like we know you.read more
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I first got my Passport in 2012 and Taco Girl was my first connection back then Great then and Marvelous Now! She's... blossomed and developed into a wonderful contact for any and all information Belize. She goes above & beyond to respond with information that you need whether visiting Belize or relocating! I wasn't able to fund the move then but now that I have much more equity I am doing it.This time she was the 1st person I reached out to! Now I am selling and moving to Belize. She responds immediately! Like I do in my Pet Sitting Business! I was so impressed I followed her all this time. And was not disappointed!Pamela Nixonread more
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Wanted to give a shout-out to tacogirl belize for helping us! She is a plethora of knowledge and was super helpful and... responsive in helping us find longer term stay on the island. Thank you so much for your help!read more
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I've spent the last month exploring Belize. I'm retired & seriously considering moving down to Belize permanently from... the US. I contacted the local San Pedro expert "Taco Girl" to help me get started in finding an apartment to rent. With her help, I've located several places that meet my needs & budget requirements. Thank you Laurie!read more
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I am very glad I found you and asked you a question about a spice in Belize. You helped me figure out the name of it... and where i could buy it. You went above and beyond to help. Thanks again.read more
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I am so grateful for the time and energy Laurie has taken to share about her experiences traveling to and living in... Belize as well as provide thorough recommendations for planning a trip there. I was so thankful (and honestly surprised) that Laurie took the time to respond to several of my questions via email. I highly recommend reading Laurie's blogs and helping to support her business. Thank you Laurie!!read more
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tacogirl was very nice to share her knowledge with us and assisted with planning our trip to Belize; thank you for the... help and info, it was helpful and allowed us to plan utilize our time accordingly while both on the mainland and islands of this great country.read more
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As a Canadian—tired of long winters—I cannot wait to spend some time in Belize. I haven't set foot yet, but I am... yearning for lots of Caribbean adventure. Thanks so much to tacogirl for her endless enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. She is a constant stream of up-to-date information. Her knowledge and love of the area is priceless, and I will need her expertise for future endeavours!read more
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We started coming to Ambergis Caye in 2014 and stumble on to Tacogirls blog, so glad we did! We used her 15% discount... at The Premier Duty-Free shop in the airport! It worked great all we did was let them know we read it on her blog . She has great information awesome pictures, we have tried several places she has recommended, all were amazing. Highly recommend reading her blog. Kathleenread more
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ksniegoc1
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It was my first time visiting Belize and San Pedro so naturally I had a ton of questions when it came time to planning... the travel. Taco Gril's blog was an invaluable source of information for all the travel questions in Ambergris Caye. I was able to learn a lot of basic information, as well as many tips and tricks. In addition when I reached out to Taco Girl for advice on finding a local photographer and a restaurant recommendation, she was very quick to respond and gave me many helpful suggestions. She also provided a lot more information from a local's point of view, which was much for valuable than than a typical guidebook. Thanks to her helpful suggestions we were able to celebrate my daughter's birthday at a nice restaurant, and had a great photo family session with a local photographer. I'm very thankful for all her resources and knowledge.read more
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I started coming to San Pedro Belize in 2007 and that is when I met the online presence of Taco Girl. Her blogs on the... island and area are very personable and informative. She gives out promo codes from time to time so watch out for those. You cannot go wrong with someone who was a tourist and now lives here for quality info. Thanks Taco Girl for helping make my trips memorable!read more
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I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
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Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton!I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
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Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice... to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
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I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local... information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
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I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
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William Jones
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Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do what... everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
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Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
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Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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Belize Blog Est. 2007

belize travel specialist

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation. If you have any questions or want Belize help planning and booking, please feel free to contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

A few childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age. Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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