One of the many benefits of reading my blog and eHealthy News You Can Use newsletter regularly: The range of money-saving tips I share with you from time to time. That's why you'll be interested in this Snopes.com story about side-stepping high mobile phone bills in the event a mobile is stolen or lost.

Although it's easy to detect and cut off fraudulent activity after a phone is lost, what about all the damage done (in lost dollars) before you report the phone to your mobile carrier?

Many phone manufacturers and service providers include a fail safe -- a 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) code you can often find by keying in a specific code -- that you can report to them that prevents your phone from being used to make calls or to open a new account.

Be aware, however, of two things:

• Losing a cellular phone or having it stolen doesn't require you to sign a new service agreement.
• Consider using a headset sold in my Web store that protects your body from the harmful electromagnetic fields a mobile emits.

Snopes.com May 30, 2005