Protecting M-Pesa and your bank if your phone is taken

Most people call the police first and the operator second. For anyone with money on the phone, that order is the wrong way round.

Bar SIM transactions before anything else

Call your operator from any phone and ask for the SIM blocked and SIM-based transactions barred. On Safaricom that is 100 from another Safaricom line or +254 722 002 200 from another network; Airtel and Telkom are 100 from their own networks. Have your ID number ready.

Change the passwords that unlock everything else

Email first, because it resets the rest. Then the bank app, then anything with card details saved.

Watch for the follow-up call

A common second step is a call or SMS claiming to be from your operator or bank, asking for a PIN or an OTP to "recover" your line. No operator or bank asks for a PIN. Hang up and call the official number yourself.

Then report to the police

Get the OB number. Your bank and any insurer will ask for it.

More guides

What to do when your phone is stolen in Kenya How to find your IMEI number (and why to write it down now)How to catch whoever is unlocking your phone Phone snatching: how protection actually works Why Google Find Hub often will not find your phone Buying a second-hand phone in Kenya without buying a stolen one How to block a stolen phone by IMEI in Kenya Is your phone genuine? Checking a handset in Kenya Phone specs that actually matter (and the ones that do not)Choosing an anti-theft app for Android in Kenya

Setting it up on your phone

Anti-theft for Samsung Anti-theft for Tecno Anti-theft for Infinix Anti-theft for itel Anti-theft for Xiaomi / Redmi Anti-theft for OPPO Anti-theft for realme Anti-theft for vivo Anti-theft for Huawei Anti-theft for Nokia Anti-theft for OnePlus

Common questions

Can someone use M-Pesa without my PIN?

Not directly, which is why the follow-up call trying to extract a PIN or OTP is so common. Barring the SIM closes the route entirely.

Will I get the same number back?

Yes. A SIM swap at an operator shop with your ID restores your number onto a new SIM.

Guard Eye is an Android app made in Kenya. Procedures on this page follow the national process — police OB number, IMEI, operator SIM block — and the details operators ask for do change, so confirm with yours. Back to Guard Eye