All iPhone and Android users urged to change setting NOW – it could cost you thousands

SMARTPHONE users are being urged to lock down their devices following a spate of devious thefts.

According to BBC News, a serial swindler in London is using a smartphone loophole to pinch people's savings through their banking apps.

Fortunately, there's an easy way to protect yourself whether you use an iPhone or an Android handset.

How does the thief do it?

The female crook, believed to be working alone, has already taken thousands from London gym-goers.

She is breaking into the lockers in women's changing rooms across the city and taking people's phones and banking cards.

Smartphones can be made inaccessible using passwords and face or fingerprint unlocking, but the thief has found a way around that.

Once she has your phone and banking card, she downloads the relevant banking app on her own phone and enters the card details.

As a precaution since it is the first time that card has been used on a new device, the bank will demand a one-off security passcode.

This is sent to the stolen phone via text.

Because most smartphones are set to show a preview of new messages, the code can be seen on the stolen device's lock screen.

That gives the thief all the information she needs to plug the code into her device and get access to the account.

She's then able to transfer money, buy goods or change access to the account.

According to the BBC, the thief typically splashes thousands on goods at stores such as Selfridges, Apple, Balenciaga, and Harrods.

How to protect yourself

You can protect yourself by turning off lock screen previews in your device settings.

It's also a good idea to keep your smartphone and banking card separate from one another wherever possible.

On iPhone:

• Go to Settings
• Scroll to Messages
• Scroll to Notifications
• Scroll to Show Previews where there are three options: Always / When Unlocked / Never
• Tap either When Unlocked or Never. Your messages will no longer appear when your phone is locked

On Android:

• Go to Settings
• Tap Lock Screen
• Select Notifications
• Tap Don't Show Notifications. Your messages will no longer appear when your phone is locked

Victim tells harrowing story

A woman has told of the horror moment a smartphone loophole let thieves spend £8,000 of her savings - and shared how to stop it happening to you.

Charlotte Morgan, of London, says in the short period she spent at the gym one evening, a thief was able to carelessly yet cunningly spend every penny she had to her name.

She now understands the crook knew exactly what they were doing when they stole her phone and bank card from her gym locker.

They removed her phone's sim card, placed it in another phone and - in a banking app loophole - use it to access her savings account.

Charlotte claims her bank, Santander, then accused her of negligence and originally told her she would not be reimbursed the £8,000 she lost.

The horror first started unfolding about 9.30pm on a normal Wednesday after Charlotte finished her workout.

She wrote for the : "Going to my locker at the Virgin Active gym in Chiswick Park, London, I realised my combination padlock was missing... and the compartment was empty."

Charlotte's bag - which had her phone and bank card, along with her house keys and more - was gone.

Swiftly making her way to the gym front counter, she found another theft victim whose face she recognised.

Charlotte said: "I remembered her because the electronic entry gate was out of action and, instead of showing our membership cards, we signed a piece of paper as we went in.

"No staff member checked our names against the system, so our thief had most likely slipped in this way, too."

Charlotte frantically called Santander, begging them to put a stop on all transactions.

But, she said: "The voice on the other end of the line then listed a series of major transactions, all made during my gym session.

"Each one hit me like a bullet."

The thief spent almost £3,000 at an Apple Store - in three purchases of £850 - then £1,000 at another Apple store, then £700 at a Selfridges.

Charlotte said that a Santander employee told her that she would not be reimbursed.

Santander has been approached for comment.

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