Tracking stolen mobile ?

My mobile was stolen last night (I know this as I have spoken to the
thief this morning, albeit briefly !). The account is already
cancelled and I'm not too bothered about the handset except that it
has a couple of baby snaps I'd rather not lose (no backup) and to be
honest, the guy's attitude on the phone this morning has got right up
my nose. So...

Does anyone know if there's a way of _legally_ (this is v. important)
registering the phone with a tracking service so I can get a pointer
to where it is ? I mentioned this to the plod on the front desk at my
local nick this morning and he says no (but then they always do) and
of course the old Bill themselves aren't going to do anything as it's
the most minor of crimes.

Not sure what I'd do next if I did track it down, but I feel like I
want to have a go at the guy (at a distance anyway !).

All suggestions gratefully received.

Nick

---

› See More: Tracking stolen mobile ?

In message
bd312a8b-3cb6-4e00-a024-2c94413fabfa...oglegroups.com,
Nick Fisher <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

> My mobile was stolen last night (I know this as I have spoken to the
> thief this morning, albeit briefly !). The account is already
> cancelled and I'm not too bothered about the handset except that it
> has a couple of baby snaps I'd rather not lose (no backup) and to be
> honest, the guy's attitude on the phone this morning has got right up
> my nose. So...
>
> Does anyone know if there's a way of _legally_ (this is v. important)
> registering the phone with a tracking service so I can get a pointer
> to where it is ? I mentioned this to the plod on the front desk at my
> local nick this morning and he says no (but then they always do) and
> of course the old Bill themselves aren't going to do anything as it's
> the most minor of crimes.
>
> Not sure what I'd do next if I did track it down, but I feel like I
> want to have a go at the guy (at a distance anyway !).
>
> All suggestions gratefully received.
>
> Nick

AIUI These tracking services need to be set up while you are in possession
of the phone, or at least with the co-operation of the person holding the
phone, so if it's in the hands of a theiving b*****d, I don't THINK that
you'll have much joy...
Having said that, I am no expert in the finer workings of these things, so
maybe someone can correct me and describe a way of doing it?

--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

"Nick Fisher" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:bd312a8b-3cb6-4e00-a024-2c94413fabfa@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> My mobile was stolen last night (I know this as I have spoken to the
> thief this morning, albeit briefly !). The account is already
> cancelled and I'm not too bothered about the handset except that it
> has a couple of baby snaps I'd rather not lose (no backup) and to be
> honest, the guy's attitude on the phone this morning has got right up
> my nose. So...
>
> Does anyone know if there's a way of _legally_ (this is v. important)
> registering the phone with a tracking service so I can get a pointer
> to where it is ? I mentioned this to the plod on the front desk at my
> local nick this morning and he says no (but then they always do) and
> of course the old Bill themselves aren't going to do anything as it's
> the most minor of crimes.
>
> Not sure what I'd do next if I did track it down, but I feel like I
> want to have a go at the guy (at a distance anyway !).
>
> All suggestions gratefully received.
>
> Nick

I once "lost" a phone and had a conversation with its "finder" so
I know what that feels like.
I think you understand the situation, if murder terrorism or
an image of a semi clad child in a park was involved
then the local Police would work with Interpol and
the worlds mobile networks to track the phone by
its IMEI. They would get a very rough location of where
the phone is at any one time, but in reality they would
nab the felon by the calls he made and recieved.

Failing that, then the best you can do is get the IMEI
blacklisted.
--
Graham

> nab the felon by the calls he made and recieved.
>
> Failing that, then the best you can do is get the IMEI
> blacklisted.
> --
> Graham
>
>
it is only a worthless outdated in a couple of years phone......

Nick Fisher wrote:
> My mobile was stolen last night (I know this as I have spoken to the
> thief this morning, albeit briefly !).

How did the conversation go, then? ;-)

David

"Nick Fisher" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:bd312a8b-3cb6-4e00-a024-2c94413fabfa@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> My mobile was stolen last night (I know this as I have spoken to the
> thief this morning, albeit briefly !). The account is already
> cancelled and I'm not too bothered about the handset except that it
> has a couple of baby snaps I'd rather not lose (no backup) and to be
> honest, the guy's attitude on the phone this morning has got right up
> my nose. So...
>
> Does anyone know if there's a way of _legally_ (this is v. important)
> registering the phone with a tracking service so I can get a pointer
> to where it is ? I mentioned this to the plod on the front desk at my
> local nick this morning and he says no (but then they always do) and
> of course the old Bill themselves aren't going to do anything as it's
> the most minor of crimes.
>

Report it to the police, the mobile company can track it to within 20feet.
The police can not refuse to deal with a reported crime.

> Not sure what I'd do next if I did track it down, but I feel like I
> want to have a go at the guy (at a distance anyway !).
>

so you know who it is then? How did you meet him and how did he get your
phone. There is obviously more to it or you would have gone to the police
and reported the theft.

> All suggestions gratefully received.
>
> Nick

Ian formulated on Thursday :
>> *I mentioned this to the plod* on the front desk at my
>> local nick this morning and he says no (but then they always do) and
>> of course the old Bill themselves aren't going to do anything as it's
>> the most minor of crimes.
>>
>
> Report it to the police, the mobile company can track it to within 20feet.
> The police can not refuse to deal with a reported crime.
>
>> Not sure what I'd do next if I did track it down, but I feel like I
>> want to have a go at the guy (at a distance anyway !).
>>
>
> so you know who it is then? How did you meet him and how did he get your
> phone. There is obviously more to it or you would have gone to the police
> and reported the theft.

Erm, he said he did report it.

"Ian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Nick Fisher" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:bd312a8b-3cb6-4e00-a024-2c94413fabfa@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
>> My mobile was stolen last night (I know this as I have spoken to the
>> thief this morning, albeit briefly !). The account is already
>> cancelled and I'm not too bothered about the handset except that it
>> has a couple of baby snaps I'd rather not lose (no backup) and to be
>> honest, the guy's attitude on the phone this morning has got right up
>> my nose. So...
>>
>> Does anyone know if there's a way of _legally_ (this is v. important)
>> registering the phone with a tracking service so I can get a pointer
>> to where it is ? I mentioned this to the plod on the front desk at my
>> local nick this morning and he says no (but then they always do) and
>> of course the old Bill themselves aren't going to do anything as it's
>> the most minor of crimes.
>>
>
> Report it to the police, the mobile company can track it to within 20feet.
> The police can not refuse to deal with a reported crime.
>
>> Not sure what I'd do next if I did track it down, but I feel like I
>> want to have a go at the guy (at a distance anyway !).
>>
>
> so you know who it is then? How did you meet him and how did he get your
> phone. There is obviously more to it or you would have gone to the police
> and reported the theft.
>
>> All suggestions gratefully received.
>>
>> Nick
>
>

he phoned the number..............before cancelling it.

* Nick Fisher wrote:
> My mobile was stolen last night (I know this as I have spoken to the
> thief this morning, albeit briefly !). The account is already
> cancelled and I'm not too bothered about the handset except that it
> has a couple of baby snaps I'd rather not lose (no backup) and to be
> honest, the guy's attitude on the phone this morning has got right up
> my nose. So...
>
> Does anyone know if there's a way of _legally_ (this is v. important)
> registering the phone with a tracking service so I can get a pointer
> to where it is ? I mentioned this to the plod on the front desk at my
> local nick this morning and he says no (but then they always do) and
> of course the old Bill themselves aren't going to do anything as it's
> the most minor of crimes.
>
> Not sure what I'd do next if I did track it down, but I feel like I
> want to have a go at the guy (at a distance anyway !).
>
> All suggestions gratefully received.
>
> Nick

There is a third-party application you can get for Symbian devices that
can get the call to "contact" you when a new SIM is put in. Again, not
very helpful since the application has to be installed whilst you're
still in possession of the phone — however, worth bearing in mind for
the future. It's on Nokia's website.

http://www.softwaremarket.nokia.com/...id=283&lang=en

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:20:44 -0800 (PST), Nick Fisher
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Does anyone know if there's a way of _legally_ (this is v. important)
>registering the phone with a tracking service so I can get a pointer
>to where it is ?

Once it is reported stolen it will be blacklisted and won't connect to
any network. It therefore can't be tracked by any of the commercial
services even if they were already set up on it.

"Ian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Report it to the police, the mobile company can track it to within 20feet.
> The police can not refuse to deal with a reported crime.

> so you know who it is then? How did you meet him and how did he get your
> phone. There is obviously more to it or you would have gone to the police
> and reported the theft.

The OP said in he's been to the Police.

On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:47:09 +0000, Peter Parry <[email protected]>
wrote:

>On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:20:44 -0800 (PST), Nick Fisher
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Does anyone know if there's a way of _legally_ (this is v. important)
>>registering the phone with a tracking service so I can get a pointer
>>to where it is ?
>
>Once it is reported stolen it will be blacklisted and won't connect to
>any network. It therefore can't be tracked by any of the commercial
>services even if they were already set up on it.

That only applies to networks in the UK. Organised gangs probably buy
up large numbers of blacklisted phones for small amounts of money and
export them to other parts of the world where they can be resold and
used on any network.

Chris

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Report it to the police, the mobile company can track it to within 20feet.

Have you told the mobile network operators this amazing fact? They will
be just a suprised as I was to learn about this ability.

--
Regards
Jon

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
> There is a third-party application you can get for Symbian devices that
> can get the call to "contact" you when a new SIM is put in. Again, not
> very helpful since the application has to be installed whilst you're
> still in possession of the phone — however, worth bearing in mind for
> the future. It's on Nokia's website.
>
> http://www.softwaremarket.nokia.com/...id=283&lang=en

Newer Samsung phones (D900 onwards) have this feature built in.
--
Regards
Jon

Jon wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
> says...
>> There is a third-party application you can get for Symbian devices that
>> can get the call to "contact" you when a new SIM is put in. Again, not
>> very helpful since the application has to be installed whilst you're
>> still in possession of the phone — however, worth bearing in mind for
>> the future. It's on Nokia's website.
>>
>> http://www.softwaremarket.nokia.com/...id=283&lang=en
>
> Newer Samsung phones (D900 onwards) have this feature built in.

Does anyone know if this or something like it is available for Windows
Mobile Devices such as HTC types, I have a O2 Xda Trium