Immediate actions

• If the crime has happened very recently or if the perpetrators are on the premises call the police immediately.
• Even if you don’t dial 999, reporting the crime promptly can increase the chances of getting your computer returned.

Informing the police

• In some cases, insurance companies will not pay out unless you have reported the crime to the police promptly.
• There is also a chance that the police may recover your property, especially if it was properly security marked and you have a note of any serial numbers.

Finding a missing laptop

Laptops are attractive targets for thieves: portable, expensive and easy to sell on. However you may have just misplaced it.

If you lost a laptop:

• Retrace your steps.
• Consider putting up a poster in the area where it was lost.
• If you lost it on public transport, call the lost property office. London Transport operates a central lost property office.

Have the make, model and serial number or other identifying marks to hand when you call.

It can take several days for things to find their way to a lost property office and after three months they are returned to the finder.

Securing your privacy

Take steps to ensure your privacy. If a thief has your laptop, he’ll have access to everything on the hard disk, including any address books, personal information, credit card numbers and any stored passwords. So, where appropriate:

• Tell your employer so they can change your access password.
• Change your online passwords, PIN number and credit card passwords.
• If credit card numbers or other information was stored on the laptop, take appropriate steps (see Undo identity theft).

Insurance claims

Make a note of the circumstances of the loss: place, time, how it happened etc. soon after the event so that it will be fresh in your memory when you have to fill in an insurance claim.

Have your computer’s make, model, serial number and any other pertinent information as well as a police crime reference number ready when you contact the insurance company.

Don’t be a victim again

If you have been the victim of burglary, the chances are that you will be targeted again. It is important to take steps to reduce the risk before thieves return.  See Don't let thieves steal your computer.