Locating a possible stolen mobile?

east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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My sister has had hers pinched from her bag in school, she has a good idea who it is and has confronted them but they "haven't got it".

Now, when my sister and her friend rung the phone on Friday / Saturday they answered but were silent and have now switched the phone off.

So, obviously both battery & sim card are in the phone. Can we ring Virgin up and ask for a location of the mobile phone?

I know that the police can locate / track mobile phones down in emergencies by phoning up the service provider to locate a GPRS or normal signal. So, would Virgin do this for us?

Comments

  • stud u likestud u like Posts: 42,100
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    I would phone them up and report it stolen. I doubt Virgin would locate it. They would just shut it down so it could not be used.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 110
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    If you contact Virgin and get them to reactivate the handset then even if you change
    the simcard then it still will not work so even if the thief still has her phone then it will
    be as much use as a chocolate T pot .
  • lalalandlalaland Posts: 11,882
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    Hi,

    First of all sorry to hear your sister has been a victim of crime.

    You won't get the police tracing your mobile via the network in the case of a stolen mobile unfortunately. It's not that they don't want to, more a case of they can't. To do a trace similar to how you describe there have to be certain requirements met and authorisation from an Inspector or above. It's normally used for more serious incidents.

    Report the handset stolen to your service provider. If you know your IMEI number it's even easier to do this and they'll block it from the network and all other UK networks.

    If the handset is taken abroad (does happen with modern expensive stolen handsets) then the block won't do much as foreign networks will still accept it. Criminals can also reprogram most phones to change the IMEI to get around the block in the UK, however this is illegal and carries quite stiff penalties so although it still happens it's not as common as it used to be.

    If your phone was stolen at school have you considered speaking to your school liaison police officer if you have one? These officers are normally much more experienced at dealing with school issues and will know your school and pupils much better.

    You may have sadly lost the phone if a few days has passed, but it's still worth reporting.

    On a personal note, I registered my own mobile phone with an online tracking service. It cost me about £10 to do this and it means that in the event of me losing it or it being stolen, as long as it's still turned on I can track it to so many feet via their website. It's a commercial service and works pretty well. It's actually intended for tracking yours kids via their mobile but works well in this scenario too. Obviously it relies on the phone being left on and that doesn't happen every time, but one more option at the time of loss is better than nothing :)
  • east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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    Thanks all for your replies.

    Especially lalaland. I will suggest the liason officer to my sister tomorrow.

    Meanwhile she has rung Virgin and reported her phone stolen and I do believe she did have the IMEI number so they've blocked the phone and are sending her a new sim card with the same number. Free of charge too.

    She is quite gutted that her phone has been stolen, although she thinks she knows who it is, the girl in question though just won't admit to it of course.

    My sis has not had the best of luck with this phone, it kept on breaking every 5 minutes. So she hadn't long got it back, when it got taken.
  • MaxCherryMaxCherry Posts: 9,013
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    I know that this wont be any help to you, but on newer mobiles (with GPS) you can install an application to help you locate your phone if its ever lost or stolen. It also works if someone removes your SIM and puts their own in. Your phone will text or email you with the mobile number of the person who has your phone and their location. You can then pass this on to the police.
    Its quite a new thing on phones, but hopefully it will catch on....it will save people a lot of time and money.
  • RicardodaforceRicardodaforce Posts: 8,576
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    MaxCherry wrote: »
    I know that this wont be any help to you, but on newer mobiles (with GPS) you can install an application to help you locate your phone if its ever lost or stolen. It also works if someone removes your SIM and puts their own in. Your phone will text or email you with the mobile number of the person who has your phone and their location. You can then pass this on to the police.
    Its quite a new thing on phones, but hopefully it will catch on....it will save people a lot of time and money.

    Where can you get this?
  • AppleseedAppleseed Posts: 3,827
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    I thought mobiles were banned in school. If they aren't they should be.
  • east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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    I thought mobiles were banned in school. If they aren't they should be.

    They aren't banned, but the rules state they shouldn't be used in school (i.e. calling or texting) but obviously kids do this.

    My sister has had to use hers in emergency before in school because she nearly got the s**t beaten out of her, when the school found out they weren't happy (wtf at that eh).

    With regards to that software, can someone point us to it. It sounds like a good thing.
  • BILLYBOOBILLYBOO Posts: 154
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    lalaland wrote: »
    Hi,

    First of all sorry to hear your sister has been a victim of crime.

    You won't get the police tracing your mobile via the network in the case of a stolen mobile unfortunately. It's not that they don't want to, more a case of they can't. To do a trace similar to how you describe there have to be certain requirements met and authorisation from an Inspector or above. It's normally used for more serious incidents.

    Report the handset stolen to your service provider. If you know your IMEI number it's even easier to do this and they'll block it from the network and all other UK networks.

    If the handset is taken abroad (does happen with modern expensive stolen handsets) then the block won't do much as foreign networks will still accept it. Criminals can also reprogram most phones to change the IMEI to get around the block in the UK, however this is illegal and carries quite stiff penalties so although it still happens it's not as common as it used to be.

    If your phone was stolen at school have you considered speaking to your school liaison police officer if you have one? These officers are normally much more experienced at dealing with school issues and will know your school and pupils much better.

    You may have sadly lost the phone if a few days has passed, but it's still worth reporting.

    On a personal note, I registered my own mobile phone with an online tracking service. It cost me about £10 to do this and it means that in the event of me losing it or it being stolen, as long as it's still turned on I can track it to so many feet via their website. It's a commercial service and works pretty well. It's actually intended for tracking yours kids via their mobile but works well in this scenario too. Obviously it relies on the phone being left on and that doesn't happen every time, but one more option at the time of loss is better than nothing :)
    can you recommend a site,for the tracking.
  • lalalandlalaland Posts: 11,882
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    The one I use is http://www.followus.co.uk/ although there may be others out there too.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 916
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    It is possible for the networks to say where any given call was made or recieved (Well, the closest transmitter and a rough distance from it), and it is theroretically possible to track a phone through the network as it traveles. This information generally isnt made available to the public on request (but is used in billing disputes... Used to have customers call me saying they didnt make a certain call when i could see they were clearly either at home, or not too far away... That was *fun*).

    Usually this information would be provided to police in an investigation, and networks have a dedicated police liason for this... But this as I understand it, would only be done in super serious cases, a simple lost phone probably wouldnt be enough to warrant enough police time for them to ask.

    Your best bet is to blacklist, and claim on insurance I'm afraid.
  • east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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    Bit of an update.
    Obviously as reported, the phone has been blocked by Virgin so therefore can not be used and sister now has a new sim card with same number.

    We now have a lead on who has it, and now we definitely know. My sister phoned up Virgin again yesterday to find out how much credit was left and the last phone called dialled the day it went missing.

    The number was an 01449 number (Stowmarket, Suffolk) and it belongs to the Taxi firm A2B. The girl my sister suspected all along is the girl who has the phone, because she is the only one who uses that taxi firm to get to and from school and also because she was the last one near her bag.

    So, my sister is very delighted (but very annoyed at the same time) and will be approaching the girl tomorrow about it.
  • lalalandlalaland Posts: 11,882
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    Have you considered calling the taxi company and seeing if they're willing to confirm where the taxi picked up from or dropped off at from the call made from your sisters mobile? If you can give them the number it was called from and the time of the call they should have that information to hand. You could also consider reporting it to the police and letting them know which number was last called and when, once that's done the police can contact the taxi company and get the details of who the passenger was, where they were picked up from etc. and if there's enough information form the taxi company arrest the person who used it for a theft related crime (depends on the evidence as to whether it would be theft or handling).
  • east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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    lalaland wrote: »
    Have you considered calling the taxi company and seeing if they're willing to confirm where the taxi picked up from or dropped off at from the call made from your sisters mobile? If you can give them the number it was called from and the time of the call they should have that information to hand. You could also consider reporting it to the police and letting them know which number was last called and when, once that's done the police can contact the taxi company and get the details of who the passenger was, where they were picked up from etc. and if there's enough information form the taxi company arrest the person who used it for a theft related crime (depends on the evidence as to whether it would be theft or handling).

    Interesting, I hadn't thought of that.
    I'll pass the information on to my sister, thanks.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 263
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    You should report it to the police as stolen (or lost) then it will go on the crime stats.

    Report it to the network for blocking, that should have been done within a few hours, but it still will help.

    The claim on your insurance if you have any... they will be asking why (as will the police) it was not reported sooner, the longer the reporting takes place the more doubt is placed on its truth!

    You should report it anyway even if it is just lost, when people get arrested now and brought into custody, most forces will check mobile phones against the MEND database, it is amazing how many turn up not to be the property of the person who actually has it.

    Tracking a mobile is time consuming for police and would only ever be done in serious crime cases, or if 999/112 was called where the network operators electronic information is passed to the force on the handover, this contain information such as the callers number, connecting exchange, aproximate location (where available), contract information, etc etc... this is not the case for every call, but a lot now carry this.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 263
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    Just read the taxi bit......

    Do not get the information from the firm, report it to the police, telling them what you have done so far, you are dealing in the realms of data protection and should the police recover the phone and a person with it, it may well effect the possiblilty of a successful prosecution.
  • east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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    Ok, thought i'd let you know what's happening.

    My sister's friend's Mum rung the police last night because her phone had gone missing in the same way as my sister's. The police traced the phone and recovered it, and according to the school it was at the suspected person's house.

    The police have now been contacted by the school today by the Deputy Head, as my sister has reported the matter to the school and this is how we know of the recovered mobile.

    So, as requested by the school, my parents will contact the police later to give a statement of what has happened. Hopefully, things are looking up and the phone could be recovered.
  • lalalandlalaland Posts: 11,882
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    If it's your sister's phone and she's had it taken from her then she'll be the one that has to make the statement. Depending on her age she may need a parent or guardian with her or even be video interviewed. Not to worry about that though, the police will sort it out for her when they are contacted.

    I'm glad it's getting sorted for you. Good luck with it.
  • east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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    It's been a while, thought i'd update this.

    The local PCSO for the school came round 2 weeks ago, and took a statememnt from my sister and all the phone details (model, IMEI etc).

    The PCSO also phoned the cab company who confirmed that they had received a call at 4.05 from the girl who normally gets that taxi.

    We were phoned Monday / Tuesday night, and were told that they had arrested the girl in question and she confessed to stealing the phone. Unfortunately, she said she doesnt have it and left it in the girls' changing rooms at the school.

    At present, the police are now looking at getting money from the girl to compensate for the phone she lost. The school's deputy head has also been informed but according to my sister he doesn't believe that the girl hasn't got it.

    Meanwhile, an announcement will be handed round the entire school tomorrow during registration asking if anyone has seen / had the phone. Obviously, there is a very slim chance we'll never see the phone again, but it's all worth the try.

    Still waiting to hear more on this compensation thing, so will post more info and updates when I hear it.
  • lalalandlalaland Posts: 11,882
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    What??

    You have PCSOs taking statements and investigating crimes in your area? :eek:

    This is certainly not a knock against you, but PCSOs should not be doing that sort of stuff. If you don't mind me asking, what area do you live in?
  • east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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    lalaland wrote: »
    What??

    You have PCSOs taking statements and investigating crimes in your area? :eek:

    This is certainly not a knock against you, but PCSOs should not be doing that sort of stuff. If you don't mind me asking, what area do you live in?

    The guy was a PCSO but he works closely with the school, and as this matter was school related then perhaps that is why he was sent to us.

    Not sure if it is the PCSO doing all the investigating and stuff as I only hear what I type here. Don't bother asking questions, as long as it gets dealt with.

    I live near Eye, but my sister goes to Debenham High, so Debenham police deal with it.
  • lalalandlalaland Posts: 11,882
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    That's fair enough. Like I said it wasn't a knock against you. I was just surprised that a force appears to be using PCSOs to take statements. Ours aren't allowed to do that and I wasn't aware that was a role PCSOs were meant to do.

    It would be great if ours could do that as it would free up a lot of time for us, but there's no chance as PCSOs, in my force anyway, don't have adequate training to do so.

    I presume by Debenham you mean Debenham in Suffolk?

    Anyway, I hope you get it sorted :)
  • east_boy_16east_boy_16 Posts: 3,981
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    lalaland wrote: »
    That's fair enough. Like I said it wasn't a knock against you. I was just surprised that a force appears to be using PCSOs to take statements. Ours aren't allowed to do that and I wasn't aware that was a role PCSOs were meant to do.

    It would be great if ours could do that as it would free up a lot of time for us, but there's no chance as PCSOs, in my force anyway, don't have adequate training to do so.

    I presume by Debenham you mean Debenham in Suffolk?

    Anyway, I hope you get it sorted :)

    Ah ok, I see what you mean. Yes, I do mean Debenham in Suffolk :).

    Thanks for the support and help you've offered. Much appreciated.
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