Anyone know?

SCO

I had my phone knicked yesterday phoned my provider got a bar on the SIM and phone.

My question is they said the phone is useless it will just tell them it is barred.

Is this true that it is useless and they wont be able to even get to the menu screen and see contacts, texts etc?

could they take it to a backstreet place and get the bar taken off?

also if they do get the bar off and use the phone can the network tell and inform the police to where it is?

(also posted on techie stuff forum not sure what one was best)

DUTR

It is as the networks suggested to you the phone and sim will be useless , not sure why you feel they 'thief' would want to explore your sim contacts?

Techhead_2

The answer to your first question depends on the phone and how you have set it up. They may well be able to turn it on and view pictures/contacts/texts etc. Its always a good idea to set the phone so that its asks for a security code when a new SIM is inserted and to turn on SIM PIN protection, so that itasks for the PIN everytime it turns on.

The bar works at network level, to get around it they would need to change the IMEI (which is illegal). The networks would spot this quite easily.

What normally happens, is that the thieves use them very quickly to make calls (before the block kicks in). Or they ship them abroad to a country that doesn't share blocked IMEIs. Or they are opportunists who will try to flog it at the pub/cash generators/CEX etc.

It is unlikely they will look through the phone, though.

SCO

Techhead wrote: »

They may well be able to turn it on and view pictures/contacts/texts etc.It is unlikely they will look through the phone, though.

The network told me they would not be able to do this?

SCO

DUTR wrote: »

It is as the networks suggested to you the phone and sim will be useless , not sure why you feel they 'thief' would want to explore your sim contacts?

Not so much contacts but any pics or especially texts when you enter a competition through text sometimes you have to text your name and address.

Will the police/provider track the phone to find it? is it possible for me to track it?

keith1950

The network have done their bit by putting a bar on the phone.

I am told that they can basically make the sim/phone totally unuseable, even if you got it back, whether this is the same as barring I don't know !!

The police won't be interested.

You would be able to track it down to an area/street if there was some GPS tracking software installed, such as Kaspersky Mobile.

DUTR

SCO wrote: »

Not so much contacts but any pics or especially texts when you enter a competition through text sometimes you have to text your name and address.

Will the police/provider track the phone to find it? is it possible for me to track it?

As techhead suggests it depends how you have setup your phone, pics vids and other files can be password locked, I don't do premium rate texts especially those con-petition type. The handset has gone now, get it replaced, if it turns up it's a bonus.

Guys_Dad

Rest assured that there are technical people who could break the bar to make the phone work overseas. As to accessing contacts, email and messages on the phone, my money would be on this being perfectly possible if a technical expert got their hands on the phone - but why would they bother unless, of course, you are James Murdoch or similar!

As said, the phone has gone and it makes no real difference if it is reused in Asia or not - except to your sense of justice. Hope it wasn't too valuable a handset, though.

Yolina

What phone is it? If it runs Android, you could go to the market from your pc and remotely install "PlanB" from Lookout https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lookout.labs.planb&feature=search_result and you might be able to locate it.

I'd always recommend putting a pin/password lock on any handset so that it at least slows down the thief and also installing a locate and wipe service so that you can erase *everything* that's on your handset should it be gone for good - some manufacturers offer this for free, for example Samsung (Samsung Dive) though not for all handsets and you need to create an account with them to activate the service

SCO

Yolina wrote: »

What phone is it? If it runs Android, you could go to the market from your pc and remotely install "PlanB" from Lookout https://market.android.com/details?id=com.lookout.labs.planb&feature=search_result and you might be able to locate it.

I'd always recommend putting a pin/password lock on any handset so that it at least slows down the thief and also installing a locate and wipe service so that you can erase *everything* that's on your handset should it be gone for good - some manufacturers offer this for free, for example Samsung (Samsung Dive) though not for all handsets and you need to create an account with them to activate the service

It was a Nokia X3-02 worth about £80, caught the junkie scum jumping out the vehicle chased after him and got other stuff back but he said he dident have the phone, think it was him though, dident want to put my hand in a junkies pockets for obvious reasons.

Does Nokia offer the the track/wipe software?

jenniewb

If its a "junkie scum" type of person rather then an organized gang I'd be assuming he wants the phone for his own junky scum and not to make a few quid from obtaining your security details. I'd also have thought that your bank details would be more use to an organized gang rather then your pictures or memories.

Its sad to think of it this way (I know this as I had my mobile stolen from me with the one remaining picture I had of my now dead childhood pet cat- other pictures exist but none look like the one I lost:() but the sim will no doubt have been taken out before you could have made the call, the phone itself cleared and wiped and probably sold on to the nearest cash converters or similar probably before you could have even reported it. The sim if found will be useless.

Don't worry about your security as much as your memories. You have done nothing wrong, just report it to the police, get a crime reference number. If you are concerned about any security data on the phone let the companies who require that data know (eg company data etc) change passwords and if you can, claim a new handset via any insurance you have.