Question regarding cell phone deactivation...

[Sparty2QP]

So last fall, I had my cell phone stolen while in Columbus for the MSU/OSU football game.

I called the insurance and had it deactivated, paid the $50 deductable and got a new phone. Roughly a week later, I get a call from a cab driver who said the phone was left in his cab. He mailed me the phone back, but it could not be reactivated because there was a police report filed on it. No big deal, I had my new phone.

That being said, I now had on deacvitaved phone and one activated phone. To this day, if I have the deactivated phone powered on, my text messages either go to both phone, or go to which ever phone sends the "delivered" confirmation message back to the network.

Fast forward to yesterday when I get an e-mail from my good friend telling me his phone was stolen in Chicago. I decided to test a theory. I sent a text to the phone at 2:25 PM yesterday saying "Really, you decided to steal a cell phone?!? GET A LIFE!!" My phone told me it was delivered at 2:35 PM.

So at 5:32 last night, I sent another message that said "You are nothing but low life scum for stealing that phone."

My phone shows it was delivered at 8:32 PM. Well at about 1:00 AM this morning I get a text BACK!! The guy who stole the phone sent me a text that said "SO WHAT!! SO WHAT!!!"

It concerns me that someone who stole my friends phone (Diddy who was a member of the 5-on-5 championship team) is sending and receiving texts from his phone despite the fact that he called and had it deactivated.

Thoughts???

[Phil McCrackin]

Originally Posted by Sparty2QP

Thoughts???

How does one's cell phone get "stolen"?

I've lost plenty of phones, left them at bars, in cabs or whatever... but I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how one would be "stolen"...

Did you and your friend get mugged? Outside of armed robbery or some really good pick pocketing, I really can't see how it's possible to steal a cell phone.

Otherwise, yeah... that sucks. I found a phone once in EL and decided to start calling numbers saved on it. I finally got a hold of someones relative, who tracked the guy down who lost his phone and he came by my place a few days later. He gave me a 12-pack for my trouble.

[Sparty2QP]

Mine was taken off a table while I was eating. My stupid fault for leaving it sit out in the open.

My friend was dumb and a guy he didnt know asked him to "borrow his phone to call his son." The guy then quickly disappeared with the phone.

[MSU ROX]

Well, the guy who stole your buddies phone is a POS.

If your buddy has online access to his account, he can see exactly what, how many, and to whom this ********* made calls to.

The call/text records can then get turned over to the police, (assuming he filed a report) and they can probably identify who this ********* is by who he called/texted.

Also, if the cell phone company is compliant, they should be able to shut down his phone immediately, and credit the false calls that were made.

[Sparty2QP]

He called me from work today and said that as he was on the bus on his way to work, he saw the guy walking down the sidewalk.

Now he knows what path the guy takes to work.....

[Phil McCrackin]

Originally Posted by Sparty2QP

Mine was taken off a table while I was eating. My stupid fault for leaving it sit out in the open.

My friend was dumb and a guy he didnt know asked him to "borrow his phone to call his son." The guy then quickly disappeared with the phone.

Eh, that sucks.

Like ROX said, the cell company should be pretty compliant on shutting down the missing phone. I doubt any calls or text messages made after he called the phone company will be charged to him.

I'd mostly worry about the fact that some dude in Chicago has all my phone numbers, emails and calender info. I'm surprised that he's using the phone. It seems like the cell phone thief would just be interested in selling it.

[SpartanJT]

Originally Posted by I shot Betty Crocker

How does one's cell phone get "stolen"?

I've lost plenty of phones, left them at bars, in cabs or whatever... but I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how one would be "stolen"...

He had it stolen for the MSU/OSU football game, too. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

[mitch cumstein]

your post was too long for me to stay attentive through, but may i suggest selling your old deactivated phone to a middle school kid?

[SpartanJimbo]

Originally Posted by I shot Betty Crocker

How does one's cell phone get "stolen"?

I've lost plenty of phones, left them at bars, in cabs or whatever... but I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how one would be "stolen"...

Did you and your friend get mugged? Outside of armed robbery or some really good pick pocketing, I really can't see how it's possible to steal a cell phone.

Otherwise, yeah... that sucks. I found a phone once in EL and decided to start calling numbers saved on it. I finally got a hold of someones relative, who tracked the guy down who lost his phone and he came by my place a few days later. He gave me a 12-pack for my trouble.

I've heard that a lot of the new phones have things called SIM cards. It's possible to remove the SIM cards, insert a new one and reactivate the phone.

[Schadenfreude]

Originally Posted by SpartanJimbo

I've heard that a lot of the new phones have things called SIM cards. It's possible to remove the SIM cards, insert a new one and reactivate the phone.

That would depend on the cellular phone provider that you have.

[peter465]

Yea... you can't steal a Spring or Verizon because they are CDMA network... meaning that phone number/identity is locked into that specific phone's IMEI (dont know exacty letters) number.

If the phone is stolen - you tell the company and they lock the phone from use.


Nextels probably used to be the most stolen out of any phones I would guess. If it was a Nextel you can guarantee that it has a sim-card. Plus those phones (remember the black and blue one that had a camera!) cost so much that people would steal them and sell them.


As for a phone getting stolen and someone not knowing how it happened.... my friend at state had that specific nextel model (blue and black) and was talking on the phone outside of a party one night, and someone walking by grabbed the phone out of her hand and bolted down the street... never to be seen again.