Locking a stolen unlocked iPhone

Guys,

Quick question. Is it possible for me to call my service provider and
have them lock the phone that my current sim card is in? Reason for
asking is that i had my iPhone stolen which i bought in America and
unlocked myself. I wasnt going to bother reporting it to o2 as it was
my backup phone with a PAYG sim card in it.

However, if they can tell the IMEI of the phone, and subsequently lock
it remotely so nobody else could use it, i would definitely do it.

I dont have the box anymore so have no copy of the IMEI number.

"Al" <alexbergh@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:149e9b40-a1c3-475b-8309-0bee09173486@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Guys,
>
> Quick question. Is it possible for me to call my service provider and
> have them lock the phone that my current sim card is in? Reason for
> asking is that i had my iPhone stolen which i bought in America and
> unlocked myself. I wasnt going to bother reporting it to o2 as it was
> my backup phone with a PAYG sim card in it.
>
> However, if they can tell the IMEI of the phone, and subsequently lock
> it remotely so nobody else could use it, i would definitely do it.
>
> I dont have the box anymore so have no copy of the IMEI number.

Mobile companies keep records of which cell is closest to you, the IMEI, the
phone number and numbers called from the phone. Calls to the phone are also
recorded, so are all text messages to and from the phone - together with
your position throughout the day. So it is possible to tell. Mobile
companies refuse to give info out unless they have a Production Order from a
court. They can easily trace and track stolen phones, but will not block
many or provide information to the police as they would lose revenue. It
doesn't matter to the mobile companies if they generate a profit from people
using stolen equipment. This info is not something the helpline or customer
service lines can give out, they do not have access to it or know exactly
what is recorded and stored.
I know from dealing with forensic companies that use the data supplied.

On Jan 14, 12:35 am, "john" <john,no...@vrs21.co.uk> wrote:
> "Al" <alexbe...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:149e9b40-a1c3-475b-8309-0bee09173486@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
> > Guys,
>
> > Quick question. Is it possible for me to call my service provider and
> > have them lock the phone that my current sim card is in? Reason for
> > asking is that i had my iPhone stolen which i bought in America and
> > unlocked myself. I wasnt going to bother reporting it to o2 as it was
> > my backup phone with a PAYG sim card in it.
>
> > However, if they can tell the IMEI of the phone, and subsequently lock
> > it remotely so nobody else could use it, i would definitely do it.
>
> > I dont have the box anymore so have no copy of the IMEI number.
>
> Mobile companies keep records of which cell is closest to you, the IMEI, the
> phone number and numbers called from the phone. Calls to the phone are also
> recorded, so are all text messages to and from the phone - together with
> your position throughout the day. So it is possible to tell. Mobile
> companies refuse to give info out unless they have a Production Order from a
> court. They can easily trace and track stolen phones, but will not block
> many or provide information to the police as they would lose revenue. It
> doesn't matter to the mobile companies if they generate a profit from people
> using stolen equipment. This info is not something the helpline or customer
> service lines can give out, they do not have access to it or know exactly
> what is recorded and stored.
> I know from dealing with forensic companies that use the data supplied.

So they know the IMEI of the phone which is good.

So if i call up and report it stolen, even though i dont know the IMEI
myself, nor did i buy the phone from them (i bought it abroad) they
can still block it?

BUT... will they do it without being asked?

In article <02ff36ba-e870-440f-bf1b-352d2a12d1f1
@v67g2000hse.googlegroups.com>, alexbergh@gmail.com says...
> On Jan 14, 12:35 am, "john" <john,no...@vrs21.co.uk> wrote:
> > "Al" <alexbe...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> >
> > news:149e9b40-a1c3-475b-8309-0bee09173486@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> >
> > > Guys,
> >
> > > Quick question. Is it possible for me to call my service provider and
> > > have them lock the phone that my current sim card is in? Reason for
> > > asking is that i had my iPhone stolen which i bought in America and
> > > unlocked myself. I wasnt going to bother reporting it to o2 as it was
> > > my backup phone with a PAYG sim card in it.
> >
> > > However, if they can tell the IMEI of the phone, and subsequently lock
> > > it remotely so nobody else could use it, i would definitely do it.
> >
> > > I dont have the box anymore so have no copy of the IMEI number.
> >
> > Mobile companies keep records of which cell is closest to you, the IMEI, the
> > phone number and numbers called from the phone. Calls to the phone are also
> > recorded, so are all text messages to and from the phone - together with
> > your position throughout the day. So it is possible to tell. Mobile
> > companies refuse to give info out unless they have a Production Order from a
> > court. They can easily trace and track stolen phones, but will not block
> > many or provide information to the police as they would lose revenue. It
> > doesn't matter to the mobile companies if they generate a profit from people
> > using stolen equipment. This info is not something the helpline or customer
> > service lines can give out, they do not have access to it or know exactly
> > what is recorded and stored.
> > I know from dealing with forensic companies that use the data supplied.
>
> So they know the IMEI of the phone which is good.
>
> So if i call up and report it stolen, even though i dont know the IMEI
> myself, nor did i buy the phone from them (i bought it abroad) they
> can still block it?
>
> BUT... will they do it without being asked?

Just ring them up and ask!
--
Regards
Jon

Jon wrote:
> In article <02ff36ba-e870-440f-bf1b-352d2a12d1f1
> @v67g2000hse.googlegroups.com>, alexbergh@gmail.com says...
>> On Jan 14, 12:35 am, "john" <john,no...@vrs21.co.uk> wrote:
>>> "Al" <alexbe...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>
>>> news:149e9b40-a1c3-475b-8309-0bee09173486@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>>>
>>>> Guys,
>>>> Quick question. Is it possible for me to call my service provider and
>>>> have them lock the phone that my current sim card is in? Reason for
>>>> asking is that i had my iPhone stolen which i bought in America and
>>>> unlocked myself. I wasnt going to bother reporting it to o2 as it was
>>>> my backup phone with a PAYG sim card in it.
>>>> However, if they can tell the IMEI of the phone, and subsequently lock
>>>> it remotely so nobody else could use it, i would definitely do it.
>>>> I dont have the box anymore so have no copy of the IMEI number.
>>> Mobile companies keep records of which cell is closest to you, the IMEI, the
>>> phone number and numbers called from the phone. Calls to the phone are also
>>> recorded, so are all text messages to and from the phone - together with
>>> your position throughout the day. So it is possible to tell. Mobile
>>> companies refuse to give info out unless they have a Production Order from a
>>> court. They can easily trace and track stolen phones, but will not block
>>> many or provide information to the police as they would lose revenue. It
>>> doesn't matter to the mobile companies if they generate a profit from people
>>> using stolen equipment. This info is not something the helpline or customer
>>> service lines can give out, they do not have access to it or know exactly
>>> what is recorded and stored.
>>> I know from dealing with forensic companies that use the data supplied.
>> So they know the IMEI of the phone which is good.
>>
>> So if i call up and report it stolen, even though i dont know the IMEI
>> myself, nor did i buy the phone from them (i bought it abroad) they
>> can still block it?
>>
>> BUT... will they do it without being asked?
>
> Just ring them up and ask!

Although, just because you're the 'owner' of the SIM, doesn't make you
the 'owner' of the handset. You could have borrowed the handset from
someone etc. If a network supplied you with the handset, they'll have a
log of that IMEI on your account and they'll bar the IMEI. Asking them
to bar other IMEIs, even those which your SIM is currently in, may be
refused without some confirmation that you really are the owner of that
handset. But as Jon said - just ask and see what they say - anything
else is just guesswork.

D

Who is he going to call? That will be difficult to recover. Whoever
stole the phone probably took out the sim in it, and will likely use
another one in it. It would be stupid of them to use your sim.




--
mrcamp

"mrcamp" <mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com> wrote in message
news:mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com...
>
> Who is he going to call?




ghostbusters!




--
Gareth.

That fly... is your magic wand.
http://www.last.fm/user/dsbmusic/

David Hearn used his keyboard to write :

>>
>> Just ring them up and ask!
>
> Although, just because you're the 'owner' of the SIM, doesn't make you the
> 'owner' of the handset. You could have borrowed the handset from someone
> etc. If a network supplied you with the handset, they'll have a log of that
> IMEI on your account and they'll bar the IMEI. Asking them to bar other
> IMEIs, even those which your SIM is currently in, may be refused without some
> confirmation that you really are the owner of that handset. But as Jon said
> - just ask and see what they say - anything else is just guesswork.
>

Not in my recent experience, with Vodafone, anyway.

Lost phone & SIM. Rang to bar the SIM & duly received replacement. Upon
putting new SIM in (now found) phone, discovered Vodafone had barred
the non-Vodafone supplied handset.

"mrcamp" <mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com> wrote in message
news:mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com...
>
> Who is he going to call? That will be difficult to recover. Whoever
> stole the phone probably took out the sim in it, and will likely use
> another one in it. It would be stupid of them to use your sim.

The SIM currently being used in the phone shouldn't matter. O2 know what the
IEMI of the handset that was stolen is from their records. All they have to
do is blacklist that IMEI.

"Al" <alexbergh@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:149e9b40-a1c3-475b-8309-0bee09173486@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Guys,
>
> Quick question. Is it possible for me to call my service provider and
> have them lock the phone that my current sim card is in? Reason for
> asking is that i had my iPhone stolen which i bought in America and
> unlocked myself. I wasnt going to bother reporting it to o2 as it was
> my backup phone with a PAYG sim card in it.
>
> However, if they can tell the IMEI of the phone, and subsequently lock
> it remotely so nobody else could use it, i would definitely do it.
>
> I dont have the box anymore so have no copy of the IMEI number.

Just report it stolen. They should block the SIM and the phone.

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:25:04 -0000, "Jack Torrence"
<room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

>"mrcamp" <mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com> wrote in message
>news:mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com...
>>
>> Who is he going to call? That will be difficult to recover. Whoever
>> stole the phone probably took out the sim in it, and will likely use
>> another one in it. It would be stupid of them to use your sim.
>
>The SIM currently being used in the phone shouldn't matter. O2 know what the
>IEMI of the handset that was stolen is from their records. All they have to
>do is blacklist that IMEI.

The network operator can verify the SIM being reported stolen as being
owned by their customer, but how can they know the phone belonged to
them also if they didn't supply it?

It opens up the possibility for an angry ex-partner to use their SIM
card a few times in their ex's phone, report it as stolen, get their
own SIM card replaced and leave their ex with an unusable phone.

Chris

"Chris Blunt" <chris_blunt@spamfence.net> wrote in message
news:i6lpo3lllm59cqqccpp9p2d9ng084ifnaj@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:25:04 -0000, "Jack Torrence"
> <room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>"mrcamp" <mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com> wrote in message
>>news:mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com...
>>>
>>> Who is he going to call? That will be difficult to recover. Whoever
>>> stole the phone probably took out the sim in it, and will likely use
>>> another one in it. It would be stupid of them to use your sim.
>>
>>The SIM currently being used in the phone shouldn't matter. O2 know what
>>the
>>IEMI of the handset that was stolen is from their records. All they have
>>to
>>do is blacklist that IMEI.
>
> The network operator can verify the SIM being reported stolen as being
> owned by their customer, but how can they know the phone belonged to
> them also if they didn't supply it?
>
> It opens up the possibility for an angry ex-partner to use their SIM
> card a few times in their ex's phone, report it as stolen, get their
> own SIM card replaced and leave their ex with an unusable phone.

If they're an ex what are they doing with their ex's phone? If my ex had my
phone i'd want it to be blacklisted lol, so not a problem.

On Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:56:59 -0000, "Jack Torrence"
<room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

>"Chris Blunt" <chris_blunt@spamfence.net> wrote in message
>news:i6lpo3lllm59cqqccpp9p2d9ng084ifnaj@4ax.com.. .
>> On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:25:04 -0000, "Jack Torrence"
>> <room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>"mrcamp" <mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com> wrote in message
>>>news:mrcamp.1d118a2@cellbanter.com...
>>>>
>>>> Who is he going to call? That will be difficult to recover. Whoever
>>>> stole the phone probably took out the sim in it, and will likely use
>>>> another one in it. It would be stupid of them to use your sim.
>>>
>>>The SIM currently being used in the phone shouldn't matter. O2 know what
>>>the
>>>IEMI of the handset that was stolen is from their records. All they have
>>>to
>>>do is blacklist that IMEI.
>>
>> The network operator can verify the SIM being reported stolen as being
>> owned by their customer, but how can they know the phone belonged to
>> them also if they didn't supply it?
>>
>> It opens up the possibility for an angry ex-partner to use their SIM
>> card a few times in their ex's phone, report it as stolen, get their
>> own SIM card replaced and leave their ex with an unusable phone.
>
>If they're an ex what are they doing with their ex's phone? If my ex had my
>phone i'd want it to be blacklisted lol, so not a problem.

OK, but they might get the opportunity to temporarily have access to
it.

The point is that blacklisting a phone just because it's been used
with a SIM that has been reported stolen could result in a perfectly
innocent person's phone becoming maliciously blocked.

Chris