Technology Tip - Selling a device
With technology constantly changing and what feels like new phones coming out weekly, it’s tempting to have the most up to date devices and all the bells and whistles that come with them. Not to mention, buy and sell groups make it easy to resell your old device to help cover the costs of the new device. Make sure the only thing you’re giving is the device, and not the precious information within.
The information we keep in our phones is very sensitive and gives an in depth look into your life. If someone gathered all of your contacts, personal photos, text messages, app messages, social media accounts, emails and your banking information, it would complete a very vivid compilation of who you are and your identity – which in the wrong hands could be very problematic.
To keep you safe, Lakeland Credit Union has compiled some of our top tips for when you’re selling a device.
| 1. | Remove all debit and credit cards attached to Apple Pay and Google Pay; |
| 2. | Back up your device to an external hard drive or computer; |
| 3. | Ensure you have unpaired any accessories – they collected information and have access to the device (i.e., fitness tracker, smartwatch or your vehicle); |
| 4. | Encrypt the data from your device. Apple products do this automatically, and Android users can easily do this in their Settings > Security > Encrypt Device and this will begin an encryption process; |
| 5. | Don’t just delete things, WIPE your device after backing up your important information on an external hard drive or to a different computer. Use the following settings on an Apple i0S Settings> General > reset> Erase all content and settings. Android devices can follow Settings> Privacy > Factory Reset Data; |
| 6. | Write down your serial number so that should anything happen you can identify the phone; and |
| 7. | Remove SIM and MicroSD cards. If you do not remove these, the person buying your device will be able to have access to your phone number - which includes messaging. |
If you take these steps prior to selling or donating your device, you can ensure that the information that uniquely identifies you, stays with you and not the buyer.
Lakeland Credit Union is dedicated to our members, and we have a team dedicated to ensuring that our members are protected. If you want to learn more of how to protect your personal information, or what to do it you suspect fraud visit the Little Black Book of Scams hosted by the Canadian Government – which highlights scams and how you can avoid them.