SALT LAKE CITY – A new study shows that there’s a 50 percent chance you’re going to lose something in the next 12 months, and it’s even more likely to happen during the holiday season.
Mozy, a data protection company headquartered in Utah, set out to discover when people lose things and found certain patterns.
“Believe it or not we actually know when it’s most likely for someone to lose something. We found on the weekends in December around 6 p.m. is when people are most likely to lose whatever. It can be a smart phone. It could be a laptop. It could be jewelry, sunglasses, keys,” said Scott Lee, director of marketing for Mozy.
The survey found that only 18 percent of the items that go missing were stolen; the other 82 percent is credited to absentmindedness or human error.
Mozy’s researchers say they think it happens most often in December because people are out doing more things and going to places they usually wouldn’t.
To prevent losing your most valuable items like cell phones, your wallet or other expensive items, Mozy suggests making sure your most valuable items are insured, backing up data on computers or other electronic devices, developing a habit of checking the space you were sitting or standing before you leave and always keeping items in the same location, like the same pocket or compartment.
They say phones, jewelry and sunglasses are the most commonly lost items.