Protect your phone & personal information stored on it

Mobile devices are used for a lot more than making calls or sending a text message. We use our phones for emails, banking, checking the weather, buying groceries, playing games, watching movies and finding the way to the best beach near grandma’s house. Your mobile phone is a small computer that you carry with you, so it’s important to keep it – and the personal information on your phone – safe.

Got a new phone? Set up a PIN to protect it and you

To protect your personal information from being misused or wiped from your device, we recommend you set up a PIN / password to securely lock your mobile whenever it’s not in use. You can find security settings to set a password or PIN for most devices under Settings, or Security, or check your phone’s user guide.

Make sure your PIN is not easy to guess and never use sequential numbers such as 1234. Don’t share your PIN number with anyone else and if you must write it down, make sure you keep it separate from your mobile.

If you sell or give your mobile device away, make sure you complete a factory reset first to delete all of your personal information. And remember to either format or remove any included memory card.

Keep safe when connecting to WiFi or using data

• When browsing the web or streaming to your device, ensure you visit only trusted sites.
• Be cautious when downloading and installing apps from unknown sources.
• If you receive a text message containing a suspicious URL – even if it seems to be from someone you know, don't click on it – delete it. Read up on spam, phishing and scam texts and calls here.
• For more tips on keeping safe online, visit our Cybersecurity page.

If your phone is lost or stolen, take action immediately

You are responsible for all usage on your mobile whether it's in your possession or not. If your phone is lost or stolen, it’s important you take action as soon as you realise your phone is missing. Find out what you need to do if your phone is lost or stolen.

Avoid identity theft

Identity theft is when someone uses the identity information of another person to pretend to be them. If you become a victim of identity theft, you face the possibility of your personal details being used to gain credit without your knowledge. You could discover you have an account with 2degrees in your name that you weren’t aware of. Sometimes you will only become aware when you apply for credit and find you have an outstanding debt. Therefore it’s essential you keep your personal details safe.

What can I do to keep my identity safe?

• Ensure you keep all ID safe and report any loss immediately to both the Police and you ID’s issuing organisation, such as the Department of Internal Affairs if you lose your passport, or the NZTA if you lose your driver licence. This is important so that your current ID can be cancelled, thus preventing someone from using it fraudulently.
• Limit the amount of personal information you provide on social network sites.

Sometimes it’s necessary for 2degrees to request your ID to make sure you are who you say you are, such as when you open a Pay Monthly account. This information is stored securely and is never shared with a third party for marketing purposes unless you give us your permission to do so.

2degrees have a dedicated fraud team who can assist you if your ID has been stolen and used to obtain service with us. You can email us at fraud.team@2degreesmobile.co.nz. Make sure you include your full name and contact details so we can contact you.

Be security minded when buying online and using your credit card

Before buying online, keep these simple safety tips in mind:

• Check the website is genuine
• Read customer reviews of the online store and the product. If they get consistently poor reviews, it’s best to not continue with your purchase.
• Make sure the payment page is secure (check for the padlock symbol next to the URL address bar)

Use your credit card with caution:

• Never share your credit card details with anyone else, and make sure you keep your credit card information stored safely. Keep your PIN number stored safely and well away from your credit card.
• If you’ve registered your credit card to automatically top up your Prepay plan, and you misplace your phone, contact Customer Care and suspend your service as soon as you are aware it’s missing.
• Check your credit card transactions online regularly and report any unusual transactions directly to your bank.

The information on this page is only a guideline. For more information on how to protect your device and yourself from identity theft, visit the Consumer Protection Agency website (formerly, Consumer Affairs), and remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.