Someone stole my phone i need help!!!

[shay7227]

left my phone in a bathroom at a store and now its gone. the battery was almost dead at the time. i tired calling it and it just keeps ringing i know someone has my phone but wont give it back. i tried plan b app but no luck im thinking my phone is dead. is there anything i can do to try to find it or track it. i disabled the sim card so they cant use it but if they put another phone in there can i still find it like with htc sense or something. im really pissed i called the store first thing this morning and asked if anyone turned in a phone the lady said no and hung up on me..!!
i need help idk what to do i didnt have my phone for very long and now that i have lost it i am just finding out about all these apps to track my phone but i never downloaded any to my phone

 

[danaj]

what do you mean if they put another phone in there you can still find it with htc sense or something? What does that mean?

 

[amageus]

I am pretty sure he's referring to the SIM card. Once you deactivate the SIM card they won't be able to use the phone at all. However they could be able to put their SIM card. As far as tracking the phone without any software, that would be hard to know unless the manufacturer has something in the hardware like iPhones have. Since the SIM card is inactive it'll be even harder to find the phone.

 

[Saltine713]

Basically bye-bye phone. You have a less than .01% chance of getting it back. Call AT&T and ask them to block the IMEI # so the phone becomes a big paperweight regardless of what SIM is put in.

Don't leave your phone in a bathroom.

 

[shay7227]

yea thats what i get for keeping my phone in my back pocket all the time. yea i called at&t and it seems like no one has a clue as of what to do or what the hell is going on. im pretty much SOL hopefully they will be stupid enough to put it on craigslist.

 

[shay7227]

oh i have the htc inspire

 

[Saltine713]

yea thats what i get for keeping my phone in my back pocket all the time. yea i called at&t and it seems like no one has a clue as of what to do or what the hell is going on. im pretty much SOL hopefully they will be stupid enough to put it on craigslist.

Like I said, call the 800 # and tell them to deactivate the IMEI #.

 

[james515]

Like I said, call the 800 # and tell them to deactivate the IMEI #.

x2....once the IMEI is blocked, all they have is a purty paper weight

James

 

[IOWA]

left my phone in a bathroom at a store and now its gone. the battery was almost dead at the time. i tired calling it and it just keeps ringing i know someone has my phone but wont give it back. i tried plan b app but no luck im thinking my phone is dead. is there anything i can do to try to find it or track it. i disabled the sim card so they cant use it but if they put another phone in there can i still find it like with htc sense or something. im really pissed i called the store first thing this morning and asked if anyone turned in a phone the lady said no and hung up on me..!!
i need help idk what to do i didnt have my phone for very long and now that i have lost it i am just finding out about all these apps to track my phone but i never downloaded any to my phone

I know it doesn't help you find your lost phone, but maybe keep it in mind for the future. I have all my devices rooted, and loaded with a root version of Cerberus tracking software.

Cerberus - Android Market

 

[El Presidente]

I know it doesn't help you find your lost phone, but maybe keep it in mind for the future. I have all my devices rooted, and loaded with a root version of Cerberus tracking software.

Cerberus - Android Market

My phone rarely leaves my field of vision/pocket, but I'd rather have an app like that and not need it, than not have it and need it. Thanks.

 

[Boins]

I'm sorry this happened to you. Be angry for a bit but be sure to move on. A few things to keep in mind:

Report your phone stolen to your provider and the police. It does no good for police if you are unable to provide a serial number. Most departments won't send an officer out to take a report because there is little to no follow up they can do to help you. So find your jurisdiction's website and provide the information there. This serves two purposes:

1. You can report the case number provided by police to your provider or insurance to help recoup your loss.

2. More importantly, if you can provide a serial number to police they will most likely be able to enter it into their system. that way if it gets pawned, the pawn shop is legally obligated to enter any product that has a serial number. The police entered serial number and the pawn shop serial number get cross referenced and if it is entered stolen, the item gets flagged and held until it is recovered by police.


More likely than not this type of item will get sold on craigslist or traded straight up for dope or cash. A-hole criminals know not to pawn serial number recorded stuff for the above reason.

With that in mind, your phone is probably gone for good and will never be recovered. change your passwords immediately to prevent further fraud.

be sure to invest in your phone providers insurance so if future incidents like this occur it will affect you only minimally financially.

A lesson lived is a lesson learned...

 

[dan330]

sorry....

but lesson learned... expensive lesson... but now you know about tracking apps.
or insurance (if this type of thing happens to you a lot)

 

[Wisenos]

still have your gmail account?...
log on the market (website) and download a tracking software on your phone...
if they didn't "repaired" it... your account is still in there... simply download "where is my droid?"
and try out... stock words for tracking is "gps my droid"

 

[shay7227]

at&t said they cant do anything with the ime# and i even spoke to a manager

 

[shay7227]

im over it now. still pissed but ill just have to save up for a new one!

 

[UnplugMe]

To the OP:
Sorry you lost your phone. There are still some honest people out there but they're getting scarce. It's worth reporting to the store's lost and found, you never know.

I just posted a topic in the main Lounge about a wireless leash if you are interested in checking it out. http://androidforums.com/lounge/425894-wireless-leash-so-you-dont-forget-your-phone-somewhere.html

 

[Surfer Joe]

at&t said they cant do anything with the ime# and i even spoke to a manager

That's odd.
I had my iphone 3g stolen last month and reported it to O2 and to the police and O2 said that they would immediately block it and even if someone put in a different sim card, it could be known if they tried to use it.
Of course, none of this will help to get the phone back and my insurance has already settled my claim very fairly, but it's nice to know that it's now just a paperweight for whoever stole it.

 

[afrost55]

Smartphones are way too expensive these days not to have insurance. Call AT&T and have it blocked like Saltine suggested

 

[IOWA]

Smartphones are way too expensive these days not to have insurance. Call AT&T and have it blocked like Saltine suggested

My insurance plan is that i can lock on to it via gps in a matter of seconds if its turned on. =)

 

[almasbaby]

x2....once the IMEI is blocked, all they have is a purty paper weight

James

Is this entirely true? Could that phone not be switched to another network?

As for TC's original post, put your next phone in a case that can be clipped to a belt/bag. That way, it's always nearby and can't be put down easily. I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Saltine713]

Is this entirely true? Could that phone not be switched to another network?

As for TC's original post, put your next phone in a case that can be clipped to a belt/bag. That way, it's always nearby and can't be put down easily. I am sorry for your loss.

Nope, no way to change the IMEI #. It is unique to the phone, not the network itself.

 

[Saltine713]

My insurance plan is that i can lock on to it via gps in a matter of seconds if its turned on. =)

If the GPS is on, if the phone has battery life, and if the phone has a clear view of the sky. Good luck.

 

[Saltine713]

As for the IMEI #, that is complete BS. Call AT&T back and just keep calling them. Many people have killed their IMEI # before, there isn't any reason why they can't push two buttons on the keyboard to do the same.

Tell them that you will just report the phone stolen to the police and then AT&T will have to deal with the police asking for it too.

 

[IOWA]

If the GPS is on, if the phone has battery life, and if the phone has a clear view of the sky. Good luck.

1.) Rooted version automatically turns on Wifi / GPS when the request is made. (Either via SMS or DATA)

2.) Yes, it must have battery life, this is a given.

3.) The phone can use nearby Wifi Signals + Triangulation of CDMA networks to locate pretty damn accurately. Even at work under a steel ceiling it pinpoints to exactly where I'm standing INSIDE the building. It's even worked inside malls ETC.

 

[shay7227]

Ok i keep calling at&t and once again they say they do not have the technolgy to block the IME#. SO i asked them "if someone put their sim card in there you would if someone is using my phone and they said NO!"
I called the store i left my phone at and the people just hang up when i ask if any one has found a phone. Anyways I am sick of at&t jerking me around and I'm thinking of going to verizon here very soon. any phone suggestions?