Tracing a stolen phone

karendb

boo_star wrote: »

Does your/their home contents insurance cover it?

'fraid not.

karendb

Thanks for all your replies (and concerns).

I was really interested to know whether it's possible to trace a stolen phone, particularly one that has GPS on it?

jayme1

no you cannot trace it, you can install software on that can be used to remote lock/wipe/and trace in the future but you have to do it before it is stolen. something like wavesecure

spiro

Some Samsung phones have an option to text/phone a number if a different sim is installed in the phone. This gives you the new number which the phone company may be able to trace if the user has registered the sim.

gjchester

karendb wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies (and concerns).

I was really interested to know whether it's possible to trace a stolen phone, particularly one that has GPS on it?

You don't need a GPS as long as the IMEI is unchanged it's possible.

A friend works for the police and they've done it to track the bad guys, it's not precise it gives them a rough area, but then again they already have an idea who it is.

However that was a murder case, and it relied on the bad guy keeping the victims phone. For a lost phone they are not likely to put in the manpower. They can be tracked outside the UK too, but I doubt that would happen for anything minor.

carrieparkinson

it can be traced.. however network providers dont.... just takes know how on the tech departments persons behalf.. its not poilcy to give out the info usually... to blacklist the handset is normal procedure and takes seconds

Techhead_2

What a load of nonsense some people have spouted.
It is possible for the police to find out in which cell a handset was at a specific time. Bear in mind that the location is going to be very vague. However, and its a big one, they have to pay (lots) for this information and its nowhere near real time. It can be weeks.
They certainly aren't going to do this for a lost/stolen handset.

gjchester

Techhead wrote: »

What a load of nonsense some people have spouted.
It is possible for the police to find out in which cell a handset was at a specific time. Bear in mind that the location is going to be very vague. However, and its a big one, they have to pay (lots) for this information and its nowhere near real time. It can be weeks.
They certainly aren't going to do this for a lost/stolen handset.

They don't pay for it and it can be real time. But then again they only do it every so often not for every case and certainly not a lost mobile.

Exhortation

gjchester wrote: »

They don't pay for it and it can be real time. But then again they only do it every so often not for every case and certainly not a lost mobile.

I spent some time as a secondee in a police control room and I know from talking to people in there that the networks simply don't like divulging this information and it has to be a very serious situation for them to even consider a request. As you say, they certainly won't do it for something as relatively minor as someone losing their mobile.

gjchester

Exhortation wrote: »

I spent some time as a secondee in a police control room and I know from talking to people in there that the networks simply don't like divulging this information and it has to be a very serious situation for them to even consider a request. As you say, they certainly won't do it for something as relatively minor as someone losing their mobile.

Absolutly.

Murder case (I think he said it was multiple murder) you'll get help. Lost phone, no hope.