Database Develop

Question about AT&T, GPS and Kaisers

I found a Kaiser phone at my house after a party I had last weekend. It had a password on it but no sim card in it. I asked around and none of my friends/anyone we know are missing a kaiser, so I guess this one is up for grabs. I did some research on it and it seems to be a really excellent phone, a significant upgrade from my old, old razr, so since no one has claimed it I thought about keeping it.
My question is if I put my sim card into it, is there any way AT&T can track me down and accuse me of stealing it? If so, I may as well just sell it on ebay or craigslist rather than go through the hassle of defending myself over something that was left at my house.

well considering it was left at your house and if you asked everyone there if they lost it and they said no I wouldn't worry about it.

You might want to consider something really radical, taking it to AT&T and let them track down the owner. If it has a SIM card they can determine who is the owner.

GPS my foot!
a gentleman said:
I found a Kaiser phone at my house after a party I had last weekend. It had a password on it but no sim card in it.
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And this has what to do with GPS?
Seems strange to say the least - who goes around with a phone with the sim slot empty
I asked around and none of my friends/anyone we know are missing a kaiser...
My question is if I put my sim card into it, is there any way AT&T can track me down and accuse me of stealing it?
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Now you have my attention, my advise is to report it to AT&T and hand it in to the Police. Even if your party guests cant remember losing a Tilt at your place, there's no doubt it does belong to someone and that someone will be missing it. Even if that someone has insurance which covers it, the phone will be locked if an attempt is made to use it (at least thats what they do here in the UK) so it's only worth will be as parts but even then they're not your parts to sell.
Put yourself in the shoes of the person who has 'lost' it. If it's an AT&T contract phone, the IMEI number will enable them to track down the rightful owner very quickly and even if the sticker/markings are defaced, that info is within the phones programming.

a gentleman said:
I found a Kaiser phone at my house after a party I had last weekend. It had a password on it but no sim card in it. I asked around and none of my friends/anyone we know are missing a kaiser, so I guess this one is up for grabs. I did some research on it and it seems to be a really excellent phone, a significant upgrade from my old, old razr, so since no one has claimed it I thought about keeping it.
My question is if I put my sim card into it, is there any way AT&T can track me down and accuse me of stealing it? If so, I may as well just sell it on ebay or craigslist rather than go through the hassle of defending myself over something that was left at my house.
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Hmm no offence but this sounds a bit dodgy...why would someone leave a phone which costs around 300 pounds and not try to find it? The first thing I'd do would be to trace back my activities on the day I lost my phone. So you would have me in your house the next day asking if you haven't found it.

True but if it's a kaiser oem and not an actual Tilt, AT&T might not have the info. Taking it to the police is good, also you can put an ad in the paper stating lost PDA but not give what it is to see if real owner calls.

Flying Kiwi said:
And this has what to do with GPS?
Seems strange to say the least - who goes around with a phone with the sim slot empty
.
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Exactly my friend.
Dodgy!!!

I actually found a Sidekick2 at my local Target a few months back just sitting on a shelf in an aisle I was shopping in. I took it up to customer service and turned it in the lady asked me how they would be able to find out who's it was I said call 611 T-Mobile will know.

n3rxs said:
I actually found a Sidekick2 at my local Target a few months back just sitting on a shelf in an aisle I was shopping in. I took it up to customer service and turned it in the lady asked me how they would be able to find out who's it was I said call 611 T-Mobile will know.
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Ok but it had a sim card right???

Esteel said:
You might want to consider something really radical, taking it to AT&T and let them track down the owner. If it has a SIM card they can determine who is the owner.
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I live in the United States. The nearest AT&T store is about 50 minutes one way away from my home, which translates to about $30 in gas to just to turn it in. I stated in the original post that it did not have a SIM in it.
-Arturo- said:
Hmm no offence but this sounds a bit dodgy...why would someone leave a phone which costs around 300 pounds and not try to find it? The first thing I'd do would be to trace back my activities on the day I lost my phone. So you would have me in your house the next day asking if you haven't found it.
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A bit dodgy? I suppose you're implying that you think I stole it. Let me reassure you I did not. It was Saturday night over a week ago, people were drinking, and there were friends of friends who came to the party that my roommates and I didn't know. In an age of dual SIM slots, separate work and personal phones, and college kids who share phones, is it impossible to believe that someone may have swapped the card out and then mistakenly forgot where they lost the phone? It has been over a week and there has been no word from anyone, nor has anyone shown up at my doorstep.
n3rxs said:
True but if it's a kaiser oem and not an actual Tilt, AT&T might not have the info. Taking it to the police is good, also you can put an ad in the paper stating lost PDA but not give what it is to see if real owner calls.
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It is an actual Tilt. Says AT&T on the top right corner. Once again let me stress that spending money to find the owner of this phone is out of the question. At the moment I am $28 short of the money I need to buy a ($158, used) book required to do my homework for college. My solution? I'm basically not eating while going into class super early to borrow a classmate's book to do my homework until I can afford to purchase my own.
As I said before, I live in the United States. If I turned it in to the police here, one of two things would happen:
1.) It would sit on a shelf indefinitely and the cops would snicker behind my back as I left.
2.) It would sit on a shelf until a cop decided it would be a nice upgrade for him.
Either way, if I turned it into the police the owner would not get it back. All I want to know is, if I used this as my own phone, would AT&T care/make a big enough deal out of it that it could cause me legal trouble?

We've got a great mystery on our hands.
Sherlock Holmes​
and
The SIMless Kaiser​
The missing SIM card is the greatest mystery. Who would leave their phone behind without the SIM card? Was the SIM door open when you found it? What state was it in? On or off? What applications were open? Does it have an AT&T ROM?

No justification to keep it or sell it from me.
a gentleman said:
I live in the United States. The nearest AT&T store is about 50 minutes one way away from my home, which translates to about $30 in gas to just to turn it in.
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Do you think there may be other options to notify a company that deals in communications technology apart from a personal visit?
I stated in the original post that it did not have a SIM in it.
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I stated in my post that it does have an IMEI number though and that does allow it's rightful owner to be traced (along with its serial number, any identifying marks/scratches or even fingerprints if it came down to it). Why have you not responded to my post? You asked for advise and I tried to help.
and then re the US Police
1.) It would sit on a shelf indefinitely and the cops would snicker behind my back as I left.
2.) It would sit on a shelf until a cop decided it would be a nice upgrade for him.
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and then
Either way, if I turned it into the police the owner would not get it back
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I think you've been watching to many episodes of The Simpsons. Cheif Wiggum isn't their roll model.
All I want to know is, if I used this as my own phone, would AT&T care/make a big enough deal out of it that it could cause me legal trouble?
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I've already answered that issue so what part of the phone being locked when someone attempts to use it isn't clear? I think you have already decided what you want to do and are now looking for justifications to support that. You're not going to get that from me.

Flying Kiwi said:
Do you think there may be other options to notify a company that deals in communications technology apart from a personal visit?
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Well, I decided to take your advice and call AT&T. The representative basically told me I have two options.
1.) Keep the phone.
2.) Pay to ship it to them.
He refused to answer any questions regarding legality of my use of it. At least I know now that AT&T doesn't care. It's another phone sale for them, after all.
Flying Kiwi said:
I stated in my post that it does have an IMEI number though and that does allow it's rightful owner to be traced (along with its serial number, any identifying marks/scratches or even fingerprints if it came down to it). Why have you not responded to my post? You asked for advise and I tried to help.
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AT&T apparently isn't interested in tracing the phone back to them. They didn't even ask me for the IMEI.
Flying Kiwi said:
and then re the US Police
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You're out of your element, limey. Talk to me when you live in a country whose federal prison system houses over 2,000,000 felons, instead of 70,000. The cops don't give a rat's rainbow ass about lost cell phones when there are real crimes being committed.
Flying Kiwi said:
I've already answered that issue so what part of the phone being locked when someone attempts to use it isn't clear? I think you have already decided what you want to do and are now looking for justifications to support that. You're not going to get that from me.
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You haven't answered a goddamn thing. I asked one simple question. Allow me to reiterate and explain. The police here need proper motivation to take something seriously. If I handed a phone in at the police station, they would likely laugh in my face. However, if some whiny moron comes in and reports a phone stolen and continues pressing the issue over and over with them, and then I turn up using it with my SIM card in it, I'm afraid they'll assume I'm guilty of stealing it when I am not. That is why I asked this ONE simple question that not a single person in this thread has answered. The circumstances of my acquisition are completely moot at this point. All I want is an opinion on whether or not my using this Kaiser could result in legal problems.
The only solutions I've been offered are ways to get the phone back to it's rightful owner. This is not the issue. This will not happen. I have already done everything in my power to try to get the phone back to who it belonged to (notice; PAST-TENSE).
Now allow me to once again make this perfectly clear. Does anyone have any experience with UNITED STATES police regarding their dedication to investigating reports of phone theft, and does my use of the phone in any way give them legal grounds to ASSUME that I am the thief and to cause me legal troubles when I did nothing wrong?
Edit: I just realized that you believe that AT&T locks the phone here. They do not. They do not enforce the blacklist, so should I put my SIM card in, I will be able to use it.

a gentleman said:
Well, I decided to take your advice and call AT&T. The representative basically told me I have two options.
1.) Keep the phone.
2.) Pay to ship it to them.
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So you're telling us they weren't interested in providing you with a freepost address or sending you a prepaid envelope to send it to them in?
He refused to answer any questions regarding legality of my use of it.
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Why, if he said you could keep it (your words not mine), what would be the point unless it could be used. Somethings not adding up here.
At least I know now that AT&T doesn't care. It's another phone sale for them, after all.
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What makes you come to that conclusion? You say you made one call, are you judging all of AT&T on that basis? What makes you think it's another phone sale for them, the person who 'lost' the phone may well be using another old phone until the contract expires or they may have bought a different phone elsewhere to use on the AT&T network.
AT&T apparently isn't interested in tracing the phone back to them. They didn't even ask me for the IMEI.
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Did they say they're not (apparently) interested in tracking the phone back to them or is it just that they cant tell you who the rightful owner is for data protection reasons - you're jumping to a conclusion there which I think is the wrong one. Did you even offer the IMEI to them? It's a pity we don't have the other persons account of how the phone conversation went because there are lots of things here that don't add up.
You're out of your element, limey.
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Do you think from my forum name that I may not be a 'limey' or does anyone currently residing in the UK automatically 'earn' that title?
The cops don't give a rat's rainbow ass about lost cell phones when there are real crimes being committed.
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Over here in limey land cellphone theft is commonly associated with other forms of crime as well so it'd be an unwise police officer who didn't take any interest in such an expensive phone turning up looking to go back to its rightful owner.
You haven't answered a goddamn thing.
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Not one thing eh or could it be my answers just aren't what you were hoping for?
I asked one simple question.
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I think it's reasonable for people to offer advise based on your question even though it may not directly answer all of your question, after all, most of us here aren't lawyers who are trained to provide legal advise.
If I handed a phone in at the police station, they would likely laugh in my face.
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I seriously doubt that. When I handed in a (quite valuable looking) phone I found left on a train seat to the train companies lost and found dept and reported it to the police a few months ago, there was no laughing in my face at all, not even a little bit. In fact all involved were grateful and from what I gathered in my follow-up, the person later came and claimed their phone back.
However, if some whiny moron comes in and reports a phone stolen and continues pressing the issue over and over with them, and then I turn up using it with my SIM card in it, I'm afraid they'll assume I'm guilty of stealing it when I am not.
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Even though you say YOU didn't steal it, how do you know it's not stolen (by someone else)? I wouldn't give you much of a chance if a case went to court for you having possession of a stolen item and you claimed well I didn't steal it and I'd done everything I reasonably can to try and sort it, without having at least handed it into the Police. Is that the sort of legal advise you wanted or is does that conflict to much with your plan to keep the phone or sell it for gain? As for keeping it, you are right I wasn't aware AT&T don't lock phones reported missing but I am aware networks can tell roughly where a given phone is while being used. If you want me to hold your hand and say there'll be no problems if you keep it or sell it, I'm unwilling to offer that. The fact you repeatedly don't seem willing to accept advise that is offered makes me think this is some kind of leg pulling excercise - if it is, congratulations, you've succeded in pulling my leg.

Flying Kiwi said:
So you're telling us they weren't interested in providing you with a freepost address or sending you a prepaid envelope to send it to them in?
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Yes.
Flying Kiwi said:
Why, if he said you could keep it (your words not mine), what would be the point unless it could be used. Somethings not adding up here.
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Perhaps it had something to do with the "This call may be monitored for quality assurance" recording before he picked up?
Flying Kiwi said:
What makes you come to that conclusion? You say you made one call, are you judging all of AT&T on that basis? What makes you think it's another phone sale for them, the person who 'lost' the phone may well be using another old phone until the contract expires or they may have bought a different phone elsewhere to use on the AT&T network.
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I could tell based on the tone of the representative's voice. He couldn't have cared less whether or not the person got their phone back or even if they bought their next phone from AT&T. However, since their former phone was an AT&T product, it is more likely than not that their next will be as well.
Flying Kiwi said:
Did they say they're not (apparently) interested in tracking the phone back to them or is it just that they cant tell you who the rightful owner is for data protection reasons - you're jumping to a conclusion there which I think is the wrong one. Did you even offer the IMEI to them? It's a pity we don't have the other persons account of how the phone conversation went because there are lots of things here that don't add up.
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See above.
Flying Kiwi said:
Do you think from my forum name that I may not be a 'limey' or does anyone currently residing in the UK automatically 'earn' that title?
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Automatically earned.
Flying Kiwi said:
Over here in limey land cellphone theft is commonly associated with other forms of crime as well so it'd be an unwise police officer who didn't take any interest in such an expensive phone turning up looking to go back to its rightful owner.
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Your naivety is actually beginning to amuse me.
Flying Kiwi said:
Not one thing eh or could it be my answers just aren't what you were hoping for?
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Please read before you type. I only asked one question. What you offered was conjecture and nonsense.
Flying Kiwi said:
1.) I think it's reasonable for people to offer advise based on your question even though it may not directly answer all of your question, after all, 2.) most of us here aren't lawyers who are trained to provide legal advise.
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1.) Redundant. Not interested.
2.) Wasn't asking for professional legal advice. Was asking for opinions based on past experiences.
Flying Kiwi said:
I seriously doubt that. When I handed in a (quite valuable looking) phone I found left on a train seat to the train companies lost and found dept and reported it to the police a few months ago, there was no laughing in my face at all, not even a little bit. In fact all involved were grateful and from what I gathered in my follow-up, the person later came and claimed their phone back.
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Haha, once again your naivety amuses me. In America, if you were on fire, most people wouldn't piss on you to put it out (that's a figure of speech, if you couldn't tell. Try to think about what it means.), and would step over your corpse if it meant the slightest personal benefit.
Flying Kiwi said:
Even though you say YOU didn't steal it, how do you know it's not stolen (by someone else)? I wouldn't give you much of a chance if a case went to court for you having possession of a stolen item and you claimed well I didn't steal it and I'd done everything I reasonably can to try and sort it, without having at least handed it into the Police. Is that the sort of legal advise you wanted or is does that conflict to much with your plan to keep the phone or sell it for gain? As for keeping it, you are right I wasn't aware AT&T don't lock phones reported missing but I am aware networks can tell roughly where a given phone is while being used. If you want me to hold your hand and say there'll be no problems if you keep it or sell it, I'm unwilling to offer that. The fact you repeatedly don't seem willing to accept advise that is offered makes me think this is some kind of leg pulling excercise - if it is, congratulations, you've succeded in pulling my leg.
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Your English composition is falling apart. In regard to this part of your ridiculous post, I believe I will take your previous advice in that you are clearly quite unqualified to answer any questions regarding the legality of such a subject. Once again I find myself questioning whether you comprehended, or even read my last post. I am not asking for advice. I am asking for opinions and personal experiences that may shed some light on the question I asked.
a gentleman said:
Does anyone have any experience with UNITED STATES police regarding their dedication to investigating reports of phone theft, and does my use of the phone in any way give them legal grounds to ASSUME that I am the thief and to cause me legal troubles when I did nothing wrong?
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Cmon, don't get so upset. You should have known many would frown upon this so let people give their opnion and don't get so upset.
And IMO, do the right thing and be "a gentleman"
good luck whatever direction you happen to choose.

a gentleman said:
In America, if you were on fire, most people wouldn't piss on you to put it out (that's a figure of speech, if you couldn't tell. Try to think about what it means.), and would step over your corpse if it meant the slightest personal benefit.
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Ha! It sounds proposterous, but it's pretty true...I had a good chuckle on this one.

Dude...wether or not you can use the phone is irrelevant cause the law is pretty clear on how you need to treat lost and found property...if caught using it you are as guilty as if you stole it yourself (going by the strict letter of the law)....so the question you need to ask yourself is wether its worth the trouble....the other thing you need to figure out is why would someone leave a phone without a SIM at your house and not claim it...is there a possibility that the phone itself is hot...(previously stolen and conveniently discarded at your place) my advice : too many variables and if's and maybe's just not worth the trouble ....
EDIT :- And yes its possible to track the phone through the IMEI number in the event the original user wants to do it...

ugh!phone is gone.!someone stole it!!!Help?

OKay so heres the story phone is missing idk how but i set it down on this table in the foodcourt at the mall..i was getting my food..and as soon as i got back to my table it was gone!!!IT SUCKS!I NEED MY PHONE!!
But idk i have something i pay for insurance its 6$$ a month i know i have it cuz i pay for it on my bill and it says can be fixed ...theft,stole,broke,etc.
so theres it it got stolen!
What should i do?can someone help i really want it back!but its hard to find in a mall with billions of people!
Is T-mobile going to recover this?
Can somebody tell me what i need to do?because im not fixing to pay another 400 dollars for the phone.
Thanks
-Lilray979
OKAY IM ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why would you post this in the forum? this has nothing to do with XDA nor the dream nor q&a.
call t-mobile. if you pay for insurance..you need to call the insurance provider.

korndub said:
why would you post this in the forum? this has nothing to do with XDA nor the dream nor q&a.
call t-mobile. if you pay for insurance..you need to call the insurance provider.
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this has everything to do with the dream
n i only did because it saids questions and answers

lilray979 said:
OKay so heres the story phone is missing idk how but i set it down on this table in the foodcourt at the mall..i was getting my food..and as soon as i got back to my table it was gone!!!IT SUCKS!I NEED MY PHONE!!
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I guess hindsight is 20/20, but don't leave your personal belongings unattended if you don't want them to get stolen.
You could always try calling your phone. You could have tried calling a security guard to assist you if the thief turned up in the vicinity.
But since this occurred a while ago the best you can do now is just to file an insurance claim with Asurion.
Personally, I would be more worried about identity theft rather than the cost of replacing a phone. I suggest you immediately go change your Google Account password.

Did you have GPS and your "My Location" enabled? If so, track yourself down. lol

Find your IME and have your phone permanently disabled. Should be on the box.

lilray979 said:
OKay so heres the story phone is missing idk how but i set it down on this table in the foodcourt at the mall..i was getting my food..and as soon as i got back to my table it was gone!!!IT SUCKS!I NEED MY PHONE!!
But idk i have something i pay for insurance its 6$$ a month i know i have it cuz i pay for it on my bill and it says can be fixed ...theft,stole,broke,etc.
so theres it it got stolen!
What should i do?can someone help i really want it back!but its hard to find in a mall with billions of people!
Is T-mobile going to recover this?
Can somebody tell me what i need to do?because im not fixing to pay another 400 dollars for the phone.
Thanks
-Lilray979
OKAY IM ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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really??? you put your very exspensive phone down in plain sight and walked away from it in a crowded area and when you got back it was gone?? wow i never would have though people could be so cruel, with the economy kicking ass the way it is there should be no reason for anyone to steal anything, we all have enough money to just go out and buy whatever it is that we want. prices are down on everything and my wages are up so i have loads of money in the bank and plenty in cash too.........
oh wait nvm that was all a dream, you screwed up and should have known better than to leave your phone on a table at the mall, no offense but you made a stupid mistake, change all your passwords and call t-mo/asurion

lilray979 said:
this has everything to do with the dream
n i only did because it saids questions and answers
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Come on guys..give the kid a break. Lilray, u asked what u should do, so I'll answer.
Kick ur self in the ass for leaving ur phone on a table in a food court at a mall with hundreds of people. I hope ur insurance laughs at u and refuses to cover on grounds of stupidity.
Oh, and before u unleash a childish and enraged response at me... remember, it won't make u smarter.

uansari1 said:
Come on guys..give the kid a break. Lilray, u asked what u should do, so I'll answer.
Kick ur self in the ass for leaving ur phone on a table in a food court at a mall with hundreds of people. I hope ur insurance laughs at u and refuses to cover on grounds of stupidity.
Oh, and before u unleash a childish and enraged response at me... remember, it won't make u smarter.
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LOL!!my bad its just...i was really hungry n i thought i had my phone in my pocket until i realized it wasnt in there when i got the money out my pocket!LOL
but thanks everybody i will change my password and file that repport on phoneclaim.com

Mi|enko said:
Did you have GPS and your "My Location" enabled? If so, track yourself down. lol
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and no by the way i never did because i read on a forum people said it kills the battery

lilray979 said:
and no by the way i never did because i read on a forum people said it kills the battery
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Do you have any other type of tracking program like Mobile Defense or something? Do you know your IME(or w/e it's called) #?

ThR1LL said:
Do you have any other type of tracking program like Mobile Defense or something? Do you know your IME(or w/e it's called) #?
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I use an app called Pinpoint or something like that. You send a text to your number (you would use someone elses phone or e-mail or something obviously) with just the word "Locate" and it bounces back with the exact location. Unfortunatly the thief will likely notice the text and shut off the phone. However if you keep your phone LOCKED then you won't have to worry about it. Another unfortunate possibility is that the thief will also more then likely pull out your sim.
In regards to the "keeping the gps locate off to conserve battery" do this.
Download and install Locale. Set up a rule with a high priority (move it to the top) that when you recieve a call from a specific number it will turn on your GPS. Then track it down that way. There is also Latitude with Google, Loopt, etc that can give you an idea of where your phone is as long as they didn't clear or wipe your data. But as I said... if you keep your phone LOCKED they can't do that in the first place. Which buys you some time because they will have to research to find out how to wipe the phone. Since most people would use a computer at HOME... you might be lucky enough to track him down there. Just make sure you have a 'black and white' with you and be prepared to give evidence that it's your property. The G1 box has the IMEI and if you don't have that call T-Mobile (if you got it from them) and they can give you the IMEI over the phone.
Hind sight is always 20/20, but you will get a new phone and being careless is a bad habit. And bad habits are hard to break. So you'll likely do it again even though you say that you've learned your lesson. So take precautions next time (if there is a next time).
1) NEVER LEAVE YOUR STUFF UNATTENDED.
2) Have security preventions (such as system lock) on your device.
3) Have some software to recover your device should you not do #1 and/or #2.
I've been doing the theft and investigations line of work for about 6 years and I have caught 8 people and helped recover about 20 lost/stolen equipment. I'm so confident in recovery (as long as the preventions are already in place) that I've risked my Tilt by setting it out as bait just to see if anyone would take it WHERE I WORK. It turned up missing in less then an hour! I tracked it down the next day with the coordinates that it sent me.
It turned out that one of my supervisors found it and took it home. BUSTED! The next day he resigned. So... trust no one. Keep your **** locked, backed up and on you at all times! Even at home! (Caught my girl sneaking through it a couple of times ).

Binary100100 said:
Another unfortunate possibility is that the thief will also more then likely pull out your sim.
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Sim Checker
I love this lil program and it's free, every time i even flash a new rom, it sends me the alerts

lilray979 said:
and no by the way i never did because i read on a forum people said it kills the battery
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next time have your own mind and make a better decision. android gets stolen and you need to locate it, Yes theres an app for that....

It is always nice to see so many helpful people who never make mistakes.
Anyway call your provider and tell them your phone got stolen. That way they can put a freeze on the SIM (and IMEI if you are in Europe). Then deal with insurance and get it replaced. Not a big deal.
Personally I have locale running but would not bother trying to recover a stolen phone. It is not precise enough to track down the phone in realtime. Sim Checker could prove useful but I am not sure it would be worth the effort if the phone is insured. Remote Wipe would be the direction I would go. The hardware can be replaced but the personal info on the phone I would just as soon not get into a stranger's hands.

You still have to pay even if the insurance covers for your stolen phone. That's what i heard? Not entirely sure though. Next time be more careful.. I never leave my phone out of my sight .

My phone was lost, tracking app has come alive!

Greetings good people of the xda-developers forum!
After a little reading around I figure this is the most apropriate forum to post this thread in, correct me if I'm wrong.
Earlier this year I lost my phone in a cab after a night out, the driver decided to keep my phone instead of turning it in (usually if you leave something in a taxi in this region, you'll have it back with a little humiliation from the taxi-central the day after, not this time though).
A couple months after loosing it, I got a "emergency message" from my lost phone, and it went on and off for a little while untill yesterday when it apparently was taken into use! I have an "invisible" tracking app installed that will survive factory resets and gives me the opportunity to take pictures, record sound and some more.
Anyway, the phone has moved a couple countries away since it was initially lost, so I've lost hope of reclaiming it. My plan now is to give an honest shot at making my phone the most annoying device the new owner has ever had!
I come to this forum now, looking for inspiration/ideas and warning where warnings are due!
Is there anything I really shouldn't do, that could come back and bite me?
What would you do if you were in my situation?
Any good ideas of how to bother this guy?
So far I've only really come up with the idea of wiping his data from time to time..
I appreciate any ideas or warnings!
Thanks!

vengeful said:
Greetings good people of the xda-developers forum!
After a little reading around I figure this is the most apropriate forum to post this thread in, correct me if I'm wrong.
Earlier this year I lost my phone in a cab after a night out, the driver decided to keep my phone instead of turning it in (usually if you leave something in a taxi in this region, you'll have it back with a little humiliation from the taxi-central the day after, not this time though).
A couple months after loosing it, I got a "emergency message" from my lost phone, and it went on and off for a little while untill yesterday when it apparently was taken into use! I have an "invisible" tracking app installed that will survive factory resets and gives me the opportunity to take pictures, record sound and some more.
Anyway, the phone has moved a couple countries away since it was initially lost, so I've lost hope of reclaiming it. My plan now is to give an honest shot at making my phone the most annoying device the new owner has ever had!
I come to this forum now, looking for inspiration/ideas and warning where warnings are due!
Is there anything I really shouldn't do, that could come back and bite me?
What would you do if you were in my situation?
Any good ideas of how to bother this guy?
So far I've only really come up with the idea of wiping his data from time to time..
I appreciate any ideas or warnings!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it will not back bite you if have retail invoice of that phone do whatever you want

Isn't it possible, even with sim card phones, to call your carrier, report it stolen, and have it basically bricked so Noone can use it again. I know they can with like sprint and Verizon phones that don't take sim cards. But I've heard of it happening with sim devices too. I would just try calling your carrier.
If that don't work. I'd leave it alone. The person who has your phone now probably isn't the person who took it. Which is why it was sold out of the country. And that person most likely doesn't deserve all that crap
Contemplating getting the S5....

SaintCity86 said:
Isn't it possible, even with sim card phones, to call your carrier, report it stolen, and have it basically bricked so Noone can use it again. I know they can with like sprint and Verizon phones that don't take sim cards. But I've heard of it happening with sim devices too. I would just try calling your carrier.
If that don't work. I'd leave it alone. The person who has your phone now probably isn't the person who took it. Which is why it was sold out of the country. And that person most likely doesn't deserve all that crap
Contemplating getting the S5....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the nasty part of stealing a phone. The Carrier will lock the "ESN" (Electronic Serial Number) so all they need to do is flash it over to another carrier... I.E. if you have a GSN type phone from say AT&T you can flash the software over to T-Mobile who doesn't give a flying flip about a stolen ESN (As a example) I personally have T-Mobile... They did try to make a law making req the manufacture to add a "Kill Switch" allowing the consumer to render the phone useless how ever that did not pass... SO Basically some one steals your phone that's it nothing you can do but buy another phone or hack into it like the OP..
TO OP: I'd go Impractical Jokers Style. Ease drop on him and play really dirty sounds (Porn sounds... moans/grunts etc) then Fry the phone... **** that guy he had to know it was stolen and if he didn't he's a fool... Check your ESN's People!

abhishek 9650 said:
it will not back bite you if have retail invoice of that phone do whatever you want
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the record, I do have the invoice.
SaintCity86 said:
Isn't it possible, even with sim card phones, to call your carrier, report it stolen, and have it basically bricked so Noone can use it again. I know they can with like sprint and Verizon phones that don't take sim cards. But I've heard of it happening with sim devices too. I would just try calling your carrier.
If that don't work. I'd leave it alone. The person who has your phone now probably isn't the person who took it. Which is why it was sold out of the country. And that person most likely doesn't deserve all that crap
Contemplating getting the S5....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is indeed possible, but not flawless. There is supposed to be some automation to it in the country the phone was initially lost, but either this automation failed or it's sucess is the reason it left that country. Problem is though, the idea is that they block the IMEI from the networks, but some countries are not part of this agreement/system.
I think the guy who is currently in posession of the phone knows perfectly well how it was acquired. Judging from pictures taken through the phone, the taxi-driver and the current holder of the phone may very well be related. Also, the phone had it's language changed to Arabic by the taxi-driver, this has not been changed by the new user (not that it prooves anything). There is also the fact that the SIM inserted in the phone in the country I lost it in, followed the phone over to the current country, where it was replaced by what appears to be a prepaid SIM. I don't think this phone was up for sale anywhere, I think the taxidriver sold or gave it away to some family member coming to visit.
As mentioned, I have no hope of having it returned. I'm not gonna push this too far, but I do feel like putting a dent in his joy over his shadily acquired device.
Drooling a little over the HTC One M8

Tangodown78 said:
That's the nasty part of stealing a phone. The Carrier will lock the "ESN" (Electronic Serial Number) so all they need to do is flash it over to another carrier... I.E. if you have a GSN type phone from say AT&T you can flash the software over to T-Mobile who doesn't give a flying flip about a stolen ESN (As a example) I personally have T-Mobile... They did try to make a law making req the manufacture to add a "Kill Switch" allowing the consumer to render the phone useless how ever that did not pass... SO Basically some one steals your phone that's it nothing you can do but buy another phone or hack into it like the OP..
TO OP: I'd go Impractical Jokers Style. Ease drop on him and play really dirty sounds (Porn sounds... moans/grunts etc) then Fry the phone... **** that guy he had to know it was stolen and if he didn't he's a fool... Check your ESN's People!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I've understood, in the European countries that are part of this agreement any locked IMEI number will be locked out of all mobile networks, this can only be worked around by changing the IMEI number or shipping the phone off to some country that is not part of this agreement. In the country my phone was lost the police send a notification to the networks when they recieve a lost/stolen report. Not sure if it went through in my case.
My list of options are limited to what my tracking software allows me to do, sadly (or happily, depending how you look at it) my programming skills are not by far sufficient for me to go beyond what the software offers, allthough I reckon someone with the right knowledge could use the tracking software as a backdoor into the device?

Wow. I'll be honest, I never thought them tracking apps would ever give you anything useful, but if your able to basically see every picture they take, take pictures yourself...I think that's crazy... wipe the phone....
What exactly can you do with yours? Read texts sent and received on the phone? Does it gps track its location on demand? Even if the gps is disabled in the device itself?
You said the one you have stays on the device even after restores and factory resets? What's the name of the app?
As for the locked esns.... If an American cell company like tmo locks one up, is that gonna stick over any of the carriers in the US? Basically, all 4 of them?
Cuz I know before, as long as you had a sim card, it didn't matter, you just swapped it for a new one.
Contemplating getting the S5....

Wish they did that here... though the explanation was for the poster above me... Id use what ever i could to screw with him... what ever happens good luck messing with the dirt bag
Sent from my LG-D959 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I would also like to know this app

Go the South Park route. Some cartoon parodies of Mohammed should be effective. Then again, if they are in a Muslim country they could get in a lot of trouble if they have certain content on their device.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app

yea... Mocking Mohammad not general a good idea... it will get you killed. I wouldn't want that on any one's conscience

Tangodown78 said:
yea... Mocking Mohammad not general a good idea... it will get you killed. I wouldn't want that on any one's conscience
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No different than mocking L. Ron Hubbard or Jesus. All of them are con men and are fair game. Don't believe the hype.
I am very spiritual, believe in a higher power, but I will never bow down to some schmuck just because I am told to.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app

c5satellite2 said:
No different than mocking L. Ron Hubbard or Jesus. All of them are con men and are fair game. Don't believe the hype.
I am very spiritual, believe in a higher power, but I will never bow down to some schmuck just because I am told to.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro, dafuq, don't insult other members of xda. Calling religious icons schmucks will insult some people. THIS IS NO PLACE TO HAVE A RELIGIOUS WAR. So stfu and leave the thread back to it's topic. Thank you.

I'm using Cerberus. I had the same app installed without root access/without placing it in system/apps on another phone I lost a couple months earlier, in which case it gave me absolutely nothing. This one however, installed in system/apps with root access, appears to be "immortal".
I reckon they will have a comprehensive list of what you can do with the app on their homepage.
I don't know anything about how things are done in the US.
I'm not gonna do religious insults. I wan't to annoy him, not make him want my head on a stick.
Yesterday a sound recording convinced me he was in a crowded area, so I couldn't resist the urge to sound the alarm. Which is played at max volume. The picture taken of him when he touched the screen to stop it was not optimal, but it did have a feeling of desperation to it
App is still active today

this device was reset ( Google Account )

Hello, I have a big problem with my note 5 I have always this message : this device was reset. To continue, sign in with a Google Account that was previously synced on this device
I flashed it with Odin but I have the same problem !!

That is not a problem. Simply sign in using the Google account that you used before you reset the phone.

CodeNameRedNeck said:
That is not a problem. Simply sign in using the Google account that you used before you reset the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not working, Even when I flashed new Rom

Zakwa said:
That's not working, Even when I flashed new Rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe reactivation lock was on when it was reset.Did you buy second hand?

Changed my mind.

Thanks, Toskabab!

Zakwa said:
Hello, I have a big problem with my note 5 I have always this message : this device was reset. To continue, sign in with a Google Account that was previously synced on this device
I flashed it with Odin but I have the same problem !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a Google security feature designed to protect against theft and personal data loss. If you have changed your Google password and then done a factory reset, you must wait 72 hours before you can log back into your device with your new password. If you have purchased the device in this condition, you must return it to the seller and have them unlock the device.
Since the onset of Android 5.1 and up, you must remove your Google account first, prior to a factory reset if you are planning to sell your device. Otherwise, when the new owner starts up the device they will see the same message you are. If you have stolen this device, this prevents you from getting their information and also being able to use the device.
There may be ways around this, but that falls into a gray area of what is allowed on XDA and what isn't. Please be mindful going forward with this discussion.
Thank you.
The_Merovingian
Forum Moderator

jtOttawa said:
Why would you help someone bypass a security feature to prevent the use of a stolen phone? If he had the proper Google account credentials, he wouldn't need to bypass this feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand where you're coming from. And I in no way condone theft of any kind. But I do also realize that I am unaware of the situation at hand and tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. What if someone sold it to him in that condition? What if he genuinely did screw something up and get locked out of his Google account? There could be any number of situations and yes, theft can be one of them. I just don't like to assume the worst. But maybe I'm just naive.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

toskabab said:
I understand where you're coming from. And I in no way condone theft of any kind. But I do also realize that I am unaware of the situation at hand and tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. What if someone sold it to him in that condition? What if he genuinely did screw something up and get locked out of his Google account? There could be any number of situations and yes, theft can be one of them. I just don't like to assume the worst. But maybe I'm just naive.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, but my view is that if the device was acquired legally, it would be a simple matter to go back to the seller to rectify the situation. We have had a number of people on here recently trying to find ways past locked/blocked phones etc., when the simplest (and most logical) solution if the phone was acquired legally would be to go back to the seller for help, and not seek a way past such security measures here - as such, and to avoid the risk of potentially aiding and abetting phone theft, I prefer to see such discussions shut down.

Theres actually a work around thats very simple and requires a otg cable

jtOttawa said:
Fair enough, but my view is that if the device was acquired legally, it would be a simple matter to go back to the seller to rectify the situation. We have had a number of people on here recently trying to find ways past locked/blocked phones etc., when the simplest (and most logical) solution if the phone was acquired legally would be to go back to the seller for help, and not seek a way past such security measures here - as such, and to avoid the risk of potentially aiding and abetting phone theft, I prefer to see such discussions shut down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I understand your point, there are many instances where individuals have purchased devices legal (e.g., via eBay or Swappa) and the seller is either unwilling or unable or not knowledgeable enough to help. Many of these instances have been reported here on XDA. Hence there are indeed valid reason for threads like this to exist. That said, any indications or suggestions of fraud will not be tolerated.

How Easy is it To Get Around a Blacklisted EMEI?

Someone in my family had her Galaxy S9 stolen. She reported it to Verizon and they had the EMEI blacklisted with all carriers.
But how permanently attached is the EMEI number, can't you just wipe it/hack it?
How sophisticated does a thief have to be to circumvent it and make it work on a carrier again?
FYI: I am not asking anything about how to "get around a blacklisted EMEI" number nor do I want to hear about a single way of doing so.
I simply wanted to ask if blacklisting the EMEI is very effective against a phone thief?
We had a brand new S9 stolen, and reported it to Verizon, but they are just general customer service. So their claim that it can't be used by anyone in the US doesn't really mean much to me

halfhumble said:
Someone in my family had her Galaxy S9 stolen. She reported it to Verizon and they had the EMEI blacklisted with all carriers.
But how permanently attached is the EMEI number, can't you just wipe it/hack it?
How sophisticated does a thief have to be to circumvent it and make it work on a carrier again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can be done. We don't necessarily allow discussion of how to do it here for obvious reasons, but the guy would have to be fairly competent on a computer to go in and do that.
More than likely he'll sell it really cheap to someone or a shady outfit that does know how to do it.

orangekid said:
It can be done. We don't necessarily allow discussion of how to do it here for obvious reasons, but the guy would have to be fairly competent on a computer to go in and do that.
More than likely he'll sell it really cheap to someone or a shady outfit that does know how to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, that's what I figured, I thought there must be a way.

halfhumble said:
Okay, that's what I figured, I thought there must be a way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately yes. That is one thing iOS has over Android, I don't think it's possible to reprgoram an IMEI on an iPhone, so once it iCloud locks it really is a brick.
I still prefer Android though because of other pros.

orangekid said:
Unfortunately yes. That is one thing iOS has over Android, I don't think it's possible to reprgoram an IMEI on an iPhone, so once it iCloud locks it really is a brick.
I still prefer Android though because of other pros.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, didn't know that. Android manufactures should follow suit to reduce phone thefts.
Maybe it would have been better to NOT blacklist the EMEI when it's stolen, so that the thief or buyer activates it. Then report it like a month later to track who has it at the time.
If it's been sold, the police could work backwards from the for sale listing or emails with the buyer (Craigslist for example). Kinda elaborate though.....

halfhumble said:
Interesting, didn't know that. Android manufactures should follow suit to reduce phone thefts.
Maybe it would have been better to NOT blacklist the EMEI when it's stolen, so that the thief or buyer activates it. Then report it like a month later to track who has it at the time.
If it's been sold, the police could work backwards from the for sale listing or emails with the buyer (Craigslist for example). Kinda elaborate though.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah well it's not on the manufacturers really, I think it's just a limitation of AOSP and the way android works. Even KNOX can't prevent it or even working around FRP (which I had to do not too long ago for a legitimate forgotten password).
But yeah I think those types of thefts are probably too low importance for the cyber crime division to go thru those types of hoops. The only real possibility would have been to try to track the phone when turned back on, or put one of those invisible self installing tracker type apps in the SD card.
End of the day if you lose or phone or it gets stolen, you're pretty much SOL.

orangekid said:
Yeah well it's not on the manufacturers really, I think it's just a limitation of AOSP and the way android works. Even KNOX can't prevent it or even working around FRP (which I had to do not too long ago for a legitimate forgotten password).
But yeah I think those types of thefts are probably too low importance for the cyber crime division to go thru those types of hoops. The only real possibility would have been to try to track the phone when turned back on, or put one of those invisible self installing tracker type apps in the SD card.
End of the day if you lose or phone or it gets stolen, you're pretty much SOL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"self installing tracker type apps in the SD card." Didn't know that existed. Will look into that.