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stolen phone
- Thread starter drewcivic
- Start date
allbutlost
Well-Known Member
Eh, when it comes to this kind of thing, there are very few avenues to explore. I'll be honest with you: The chances of you getting that phone back are slim to none. Take the appropriate steps (report it stolen to carrier [so you don't get charged for usage] and police) and try to move on.
I've known several people with phones that were stolen and these are the things I know:
Some phones with GPS activated (note: Google Navigate doesn't count) have computer companion applications that can allow you to locate the phone via GPS but you have to be subscribed to the custom service and you have to hope the thief didn't already remove the sim and reset the phone AND that the phone was still on -- you may as well buy a lottery ticket.
Contact your carrier immediately and report it stolen, see what they tell you. Again, the thief would have to be stupid enough to leave your card in the phone and not reset it for them to be able to ping it to a tower really. Whether they will bother or not is also questionable. When it comes to theft-of-phone, what they can do is very limited.
SOME providers will check the ID number on the phone to see if it has been activated by other people, but here's the thing: Many carriers won't. This is because if you SOLD the phone to someone else, and then called in to find out where it is, that would be a breach of privacy and the phone company would be in serious trouble for giving you any information. They have no way to tell that you lost the phone rather than sold it or gave it away, therefor most companies won't do anything.
Finally, file a police report, but honestly doing this does very little. It's more if you intend to file an insurance claim of some kind... I've yet to see the police do anything in particular over stolen phones. Compared to other types of theft, stolen phones are just pennies cost-wise. The police don't go out and track down EXPENSIVE stolen goods either, they just keep the report for the purpose of insurance inquiries or for potential databases in case they end up with stolen goods from raids or what have you.
For the record, of all the people I know with stolen phones, none of them ever got it back.
I've known several people with phones that were stolen and these are the things I know:
Some phones with GPS activated (note: Google Navigate doesn't count) have computer companion applications that can allow you to locate the phone via GPS but you have to be subscribed to the custom service and you have to hope the thief didn't already remove the sim and reset the phone AND that the phone was still on -- you may as well buy a lottery ticket.
Contact your carrier immediately and report it stolen, see what they tell you. Again, the thief would have to be stupid enough to leave your card in the phone and not reset it for them to be able to ping it to a tower really. Whether they will bother or not is also questionable. When it comes to theft-of-phone, what they can do is very limited.
SOME providers will check the ID number on the phone to see if it has been activated by other people, but here's the thing: Many carriers won't. This is because if you SOLD the phone to someone else, and then called in to find out where it is, that would be a breach of privacy and the phone company would be in serious trouble for giving you any information. They have no way to tell that you lost the phone rather than sold it or gave it away, therefor most companies won't do anything.
Finally, file a police report, but honestly doing this does very little. It's more if you intend to file an insurance claim of some kind... I've yet to see the police do anything in particular over stolen phones. Compared to other types of theft, stolen phones are just pennies cost-wise. The police don't go out and track down EXPENSIVE stolen goods either, they just keep the report for the purpose of insurance inquiries or for potential databases in case they end up with stolen goods from raids or what have you.
For the record, of all the people I know with stolen phones, none of them ever got it back.
rosered
Android Expert
Allbutlost pretty much covered it, just wanted to add my condolences for your lost phone... that sucks big time.
cheers guys i know the chances are slim. just thought it was worth a shot. i live in a small city and know a lot of people ive found out some info on the guy already just dont know his last name! argh so frustrating! i was drunk at the time and laid on the floor lol. but yeah ive told o2 theyve blocked it off thing is im not insured :l
clockwork58
Android Enthusiast
On your next phone, I highly recommend you install MyLookout.
I've had on my X10 as well as my prev. Windows Mobile phone.
It has a built in feature that you can triangulate the phone's location via PC (using cell towers) and also GPS for more accuracy (If you had the GPS on your phone on)
check it out:
mylookout.com
I've had on my X10 as well as my prev. Windows Mobile phone.
It has a built in feature that you can triangulate the phone's location via PC (using cell towers) and also GPS for more accuracy (If you had the GPS on your phone on)
check it out:
mylookout.com
CuBz
Android Expert
I totally agree. I installed mylookout as soon as I got my Xperia, and it's worked great pinpointing my exact location. It is also an anti-virus, and an auto backup app
all in one, and best of all it's completely free from the market
CuBz
Android Expert
Ouch!
X10iUser
Android Expert
My sister had her iPhone stolen a few month back but hadn't insured it, a few days before she'd got out all of her paperwork to sort her insurance with the bank but hadn't filled it all in, had she have done she would have discovered she gets her phone insurance for free.
Hindsight eh.
rosered
Android Expert
OMG thank you for saying that - hadn't given that a thought will ring the bank tomorrow cos I haven't updated it since I got my new phone. Will also do son's at the same time. I know its covered on household insurance but that has much higher excess.
X10iUser
Android Expert
You're welcome.
spikeithard
Android Expert
that lookout thing is great, made my phone scream lol.. annoying
Hi drewcivic. You have my total sympathy. I got my shiny new x 10 3 weeks ago, and promptly lost it that same weekend. Honestly. Was I insured? Was I buggery. As you know, not just the phone, you lose numbers etc. The only 'good' thing was that Orange replaced it quite 'cheaply'. Instead of charging me four hundred and something quid which they cost to buy, as a contract customer they charged me
Merolas
Android Enthusiast
Did you know that you know that you don't really have to set it up to make it active? If the phone was on with the gps you could locate it with the default keyword.
dgiaffe
Newbie
Indeed. Default word is Where's my droid to make it ring, or IF your GPS was on, default word is GPS My Droid, The GPS feature will text you back the position of your phone. Both sentences are not case sensitive.
Hope it helps!
clockwork58
Android Enthusiast
I totally agree. I installed mylookout as soon as I got my Xperia, and it's worked great pinpointing my exact location. It is also an anti-virus, and an auto backup app
I'm also a Beta tester for MyLookout where I pay $1 for the whole year for the 'Pro' version which has additional features that they have been adding every few weeks.
airplaneman
Member
Have you read the thread..? To answer your question: probably not, unless you know someone who saw the thief take it.
Superbrowndude
Well-Known Member
A bit off topic here,when you do get another phone install Seed Droid, You can remotely turn the gps on and track it with google maps,lock the phone,erase the Sim and sd card and review the latest numbers called. It also works without the sim card in the phone.
I use wavesecure, it was free when it first came out but costs a small amount per month now, it has a web based browser so you can backup your phone, it will find the phone and lockit down if you want too, great piece of software, even if the person who finds it changes the sim card it will still keep giving you location reports etc
Ohhh looks like they been bought out by Mcafee
https://www.wavesecure.com/
Ohhh looks like they been bought out by Mcafee
https://www.wavesecure.com/
Wisenos
Android Enthusiast
can install https://market.android.com/details?id=com.alienmanfc6.wheresmyandroid&feature=search_result
wich when you text "whatever you set" your phone it will gives you your gps coord, or ring...
or
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.betterclix.WhoMovedMyPhone&feature=search_result
wich when you text "whatever you set" your phone it will gives you your gps coord, or ring...
or
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.betterclix.WhoMovedMyPhone&feature=search_result
Eddie_Brock
Well-Known Member
I tried Lookout for awhile and I really liked it's capabilities. The price is a bit steep, especially for the main feature, but the free trial could be activated after your phone's been stolen to attempt to relocate it
That being said, I found it an absolute resource hog, and killed my battery faster than anything else. I uninstalled this app and tethered the phone to my body instead.
