Cell phone thefts: Damages amounting to millions

AXA pays around CHF 2 million annually for stolen smartphones. While the number of thefts is declining, the average cost of damages is rising steadily. Insured persons from the cantons of Geneva, Basel-Stadt, and Neuchâtel have reported the most stolen cell phones in the last five years.

Summer, sun, cell phone gone: AXA’s claims statistics over the past ten years show that pick pockets have their high season now in the summer. In July and August, 58% more smartphones are stolen than in the other months of the year. “A significant proportion of these thefts occur during vacations abroad, where such an incident is naturally all the more annoying,” says Stefan Müller, Head of Property Claims at AXA. But caution is also advised at home. “In the summer, people are outside more often. This gives thieves more opportunities to strike – especially in large crowds such as street festivals or music festivals,” explains Stefan Müller. 

Caution advised in French-speaking Switzerland

It is therefore not surprising that the risk is greater in cities. However, the statistics also reveal a difference between the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland: Four of the five cantons from which insureds reported the most cell phone thefts in the last five years are located in French-speaking Switzerland. The risk was greatest for people from the cantons of Geneva, Basel-Stadt, Neuchâtel, Vaud, and Fribourg. Insureds in the canton of Geneva reported almost twice as many stolen cell phones to AXA than the Swiss average and more than four times more than people in the canton of Ticino, who seem to be exposed to the lowest risk. Insureds from Uri and Graubünden were also affected less frequently than average.

Two million in claims per year

While 3,500 cell phone thefts were reported to AXA in 2015, last year there were only 2,200, equating to a reduction of more than a third. At the same time, however, the resulting damage remained unchanged at around CHF 2 million per year – this is because the average claim amount has increased. “Today's smartphones are significantly more expensive than those of 10 years ago. As an insurance company, we are also feeling the impact of this,” says Stefan Müller.