is it possible to use a deactivated phone

In October my phone was stolen. I immediately called to report it to
prevent the thieves from using it. Four days later I get a replacement
and then activated it. That night (according to my bill) hundreds of
dollars of "Data" usage was accrued. It was everything from music
downloads to scarface backdrops.

I am suspicious that when my new phone was activated, it also allowed
the thieves to begin using my old phone to send text messages and
download data.

Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Verizon has assured me
that this isn't possible, but in my googling I saw that people have
reported receiving text messages on deactivated phones.

Thanks,
Rob W.

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› See More: is it possible to use a deactivated phone

If your old phone was on when you activated your new one, the old one could
have received calls for about 24 hours. That is per tech support guys.
Anytime I activate over the phone instead of online, they always have me
double check to be sure the old one is powered off.

<rob.whiteside@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1164847769.234612.53830@16g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
> In October my phone was stolen. I immediately called to report it to
> prevent the thieves from using it. Four days later I get a replacement
> and then activated it. That night (according to my bill) hundreds of
> dollars of "Data" usage was accrued. It was everything from music
> downloads to scarface backdrops.
>
> I am suspicious that when my new phone was activated, it also allowed
> the thieves to begin using my old phone to send text messages and
> download data.
>
> Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Verizon has assured me
> that this isn't possible, but in my googling I saw that people have
> reported receiving text messages on deactivated phones.
>
> Thanks,
> Rob W.
>

Hrm... who'da thunk it? I thought VZW had the ability to block a
particular ESN from using the network once reported. Is this not the
case?

"Don R." <drennardnospam@earthlink.net> wrote in
news:umqbh.4862$ql2.4274@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:

> If your old phone was on when you activated your new one, the old one
> could have received calls for about 24 hours. That is per tech support
> guys. Anytime I activate over the phone instead of online, they always
> have me double check to be sure the old one is powered off.
>
> <rob.whiteside@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1164847769.234612.53830@16g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
>> In October my phone was stolen. I immediately called to report it to
>> prevent the thieves from using it. Four days later I get a
>> replacement and then activated it. That night (according to my bill)
>> hundreds of dollars of "Data" usage was accrued. It was everything
>> from music downloads to scarface backdrops.
>>
>> I am suspicious that when my new phone was activated, it also allowed
>> the thieves to begin using my old phone to send text messages and
>> download data.
>>
>> Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Verizon has assured me
>> that this isn't possible, but in my googling I saw that people have
>> reported receiving text messages on deactivated phones.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Rob W.
>>
>
>
>

Has something to do with the old ESN not getting out of the system for 24
hours. I don't know if it is more or less complicated than that, but I have
been told that several times by multiple service providers.

"Don R." <drennardnospam@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:umqbh.4862$ql2.4274@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> If your old phone was on when you activated your new one, the old one
> could have received calls for about 24 hours. That is per tech support
> guys. Anytime I activate over the phone instead of online, they always
> have me double check to be sure the old one is powered off.
>
> <rob.whiteside@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1164847769.234612.53830@16g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
>> In October my phone was stolen. I immediately called to report it to
>> prevent the thieves from using it. Four days later I get a replacement
>> and then activated it. That night (according to my bill) hundreds of
>> dollars of "Data" usage was accrued. It was everything from music
>> downloads to scarface backdrops.
>>
>> I am suspicious that when my new phone was activated, it also allowed
>> the thieves to begin using my old phone to send text messages and
>> download data.
>>
>> Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Verizon has assured me
>> that this isn't possible, but in my googling I saw that people have
>> reported receiving text messages on deactivated phones.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Rob W.
>>
>
>

In article <1164847769.234612.53830@16g2000cwy.googlegroups.com>,
rob.whiteside@gmail.com took the hamburger meat, threw it on the grill,
and I said "Oh Wow"...

> In October my phone was stolen. I immediately called to report it to
> prevent the thieves from using it. Four days later I get a replacement
> and then activated it. That night (according to my bill) hundreds of
> dollars of "Data" usage was accrued. It was everything from music
> downloads to scarface backdrops.
>
> I am suspicious that when my new phone was activated, it also allowed
> the thieves to begin using my old phone to send text messages and
> download data.
>
> Has anyone else experienced similar issues? Verizon has assured me
> that this isn't possible, but in my googling I saw that people have
> reported receiving text messages on deactivated phones.

Not to try to discredit your story or anything, but it's normally not.
Phones that are temp suspended are suspended right away. By the time
you're off the call right away. It stays off until you reactivate it. If
you get a replacement phone, you aren't reactivating the old phone,
you're activating the new one. There's a unique ESN associated with
every line. That ESN number is your phone. When you get a new phone,
you're using a new ESN, so the old phone's still deactivated. From the
time it was suspended, they shouldn't have been able to use the phone.
My guess is they found a way to reactivate it or you waited to report
the phone lost/stolen.


--
trippy
mhm31x9 Smeeter#29 WSD#30
sTaRShInE_mOOnBeAm aT HoTmAil dOt CoM

NP: "Aces High" -- Iron Maiden

"Now, technology's getting better all the time and that's fine,
but most of the time all you need is a stick of gum, a pocketknife,
and a smile."

-- Robert Redford "Spy Game"

After talking with Verizon and getting it all cleared up, I figured I
repost with what they told me.

I turns out that there was a "known issue" in deactivating the Data
portion of phones. Supposedly, they have since cleared it up...

They are able to deactivate the sending and receiving of calls, but for
whatever reason, sometimes the Data portion does not get deactivated.
The people who stole my phone were able to continue downloading stuff,
until the battery ran out I presume. VZW data department wouldn't give
me too many details, other than they have since fixed the problem.