Customers Foot the Bill for Calls Made On Lost Cell Phones

I was startled to see this article on CBS News.com which reported that customers have to foot the bill when they lose their cell phones. These individuals who steal phones are making calls to places such as El Salvador, Europe and Africa amounting to thousands of dollars and cell phone carriers don't really care. They expect that the person who owns the phone must bear the burden of paying off these hefty bills.

This is just insane. In addition to having to deal with the hassle of getting a new phone you also have to deal with paying up for someone having a field day at your expense? I suppose the best course of action when you lose a cell phone is to immediately cut off your service so that you don't become a victim. It's clear from the examples provided in the article that these cell phone carriers won't have any pity despite your misfortune.