The high cost of pickpockets as phones get swiped from travellers

Australians spend hundreds of thousands of dollars replacing and repairing new phones while travelling overseas.

Research from Vodafone reveals that over 21 per cent of Australians who had lost or damaged their phone travelling paid over $1000 to repair or replace it.

This comes as a significant amount of travellers reported having their phones stolen from them.

Ten per cent of those surveyed reported their phones were either pickpocketed or swiped directly from their hands.

Released on July 18, the survey revealed that Asia (41 per cent) was the top continent for phone theft followed by Europe (32 per cent).

Though theft wasn't the only phone mishap, water damage and cracked screens cost Australians hundreds of thousands in repairs and replacements.

Over half of those surveyed reported having had their phone broken through smashing or water damage - 54 per cent.

To help travellers protect their phones from thieves and water or screen damage, the telecommunications company provided tips for travellers.

Vodafone has told travellers to "always keep an eye" on their phones.

It said to keep them in secure locations like a zipped pocket or bag and to ensure it is not "hanging out" of a back pocket or bag or on a restaurant table.

Vodafone recommended setting up "find my iPhone" or other location detection technology on a mobile as a protection measure.

They said this could offer the "best chance" at finding a stolen phone if it goes on "its own European adventure".

While free WI-FI may seem like a dream come true while travelling overseas, Vodafone urged travellers to be "cautious" of it.

"Even if you're desperate to upload those hot holiday snaps ... free Wi-Fi networks that may pose a security threat," it said.

A strong password with numbers, capitals and symbols and two-factor authentication will help to protect a person's identity.

Easy-to-guess passwords like '1234' make a device easy to hack into.

While it isn't easy to remember to do between hitting the itinerary, regularly backing up a device will ensure any digital memories from your trip are saved.

The telco, which also offers insurance, said taking this on adds a layer of protection to help cover the cost of repair or replacement if you do find yourself with a lost or damaged phone.