Lost phone, recovered from perp

[calmloki]

... Ladies leave their purses in the shopping carts even as they step away in the grocery store, .......

My gal is .. casual.. not uncommon at all for her to be an aisle or more away from her cart or bag sitting on the ground, often with wallet or exposed bills hanging out the top. Makes me crazy, but I have to say I've lost a wallet on a bus in Mexico - found and returned by a local with ID and credit cards in place, but no cash because, I think, gal is a bulldog. She insisted we search every waste can in Sayulita and ask all the shopkeepers about it. Lost another wallet while dragging a road in the high desert in SoCal - some of the cards and cash were found with toothmarks along the road by neighbor/walkers almost a year later - think coyotes ate the wallet but passed on plastic and paper. Meanwhile, Ms. casual hippie chick has lost nothing. Just ain't fair.

 

[youbet]

Hmmmmmm........

This story has non-tech me wondering if Verizon is giving me the straight scoop on my protection and if I understand what they're telling me correctly.

According to the fella behind the counter at the local Verizon strip mall location, if my phone were to go missing or be damaged beyond repair, they'd give me a new one and that new one would have everything on it the old one had. Pics, apps, contacts, etc.

Of course, I pay for this extra service, but what da heck, that's what ya do when you're a geezer out of touch with most of today's technology.

I do know that everything that happens on my phone also shows up on my Ipad, so I'm guessing the promised automatic backup is working. Whatdaya think?

 

[kgtest]

Hmmmmmm........

This story has non-tech me wondering if Verizon is giving me the straight scoop on my protection and if I understand what they're telling me correctly.

According to the fella behind the counter at the local Verizon strip mall location, if my phone were to go missing or be damaged beyond repair, they'd give me a new one and that new one would have everything on it the old one had. Pics, apps, contacts, etc.

Of course, I pay for this extra service, but what da heck, that's what ya do when you're a geezer out of touch with most of today's technology.

I do know that everything that happens on my phone also shows up on my Ipad, so I'm guessing the promised automatic backup is working. Whatdaya think?

He is probably telling the truth. If you consider what could/should be backed up...

You have:
1. Your Contacts
2. Your apps you installed
3. Your pictures and videos
4. Anyother files you might somehow save to your phone
5. Data related to the applications you installed
6. Text message history/ chat history

So, My contacts are synced with Google, my apps can all be re-downloaded but I would lose whatever preferences or settings I had set local to my phone, my pictures and videos I do not sync because I don't want to pay for cloud storage, my random files I download onto my phone I wouldn't miss if they did go missing, and I would lose my text message history, meaning I wouldn't be able to search old messages I sent or received.

Of all the risks associated with that list, losing my contacts would be the biggest pain. Losing my pictures would be more of an emotional loss(But I back them up monthly as it is so I wouldn't lost much), having to reset all my apps and re-download those would be an inconvenience, but that is just lost time as opposed to physically losing anything.

If you have an iPhone with iCloud and syncing is on, then actually losing the phone wouldn't be a huge deal, since the cost of it is covered. I believe that since I pay my bill with a specific credit card that offers phone protection I would be able to file a claim and get some of my phone's cost reimbursed.

I am going to double check I am still paying with the correct credit card that offers that fringe benefit. Then, the only inconvenience to me would be waiting for the claim to process, waiting for a new phone to arrive and maybe a few lost pictures.

Edit to add:
If your phone does not have any lock protection, it would be an entirely different story. The risk is now much greater, depending on if you have passwords saved for auto-login from the phone, if you have credit card information stored that is easily accessible ie ApplePay or GooglePay. Your personal safety could be at risk depending on what data the perp in possession of the phone could access. They would be able to pull up search history, map history, chat history etc.

 

[youbet]

He is probably telling the truth. If you consider what could/should be backed up...

You have:
1. Your Contacts
2. Your apps you installed
3. Your pictures and videos
4. Anyother files you might somehow save to your phone
5. Data related to the applications you installed
6. Text message history/ chat history

So, My contacts are synced with Google, my apps can all be re-downloaded but I would lose whatever preferences or settings I had set local to my phone, my pictures and videos I do not sync because I don't want to pay for cloud storage, my random files I download onto my phone I wouldn't miss if they did go missing, and I would lose my text message history, meaning I wouldn't be able to search old messages I sent or received.

Of all the risks associated with that list, losing my contacts would be the biggest pain. Losing my pictures would be more of an emotional loss(But I back them up monthly as it is so I wouldn't lost much), having to reset all my apps and re-download those would be an inconvenience, but that is just lost time as opposed to physically losing anything.

If you have an iPhone with iCloud and syncing is on, then actually losing the phone wouldn't be a huge deal, since the cost of it is covered. I believe that since I pay my bill with a specific credit card that offers phone protection I would be able to file a claim and get some of my phone's cost reimbursed.

I am going to double check I am still paying with the correct credit card that offers that fringe benefit. Then, the only inconvenience to me would be waiting for the claim to process, waiting for a new phone to arrive and maybe a few lost pictures.

Edit to add:
If your phone does not have any lock protection, it would be an entirely different story. The risk is now much greater, depending on if you have passwords saved for auto-login from the phone, if you have credit card information stored that is easily accessible ie ApplePay or GooglePay. Your personal safety could be at risk depending on what data the perp in possession of the phone could access. They would be able to pull up search history, map history, chat history etc.

Thanks kgtest! Very helpful.

Yes, it's an iPhone with iCloud and the auto-backup is turned on.

I agree that losing my contact list would be a huge pita. There is lots of info there I am guilty of not having stored anywhere else (under the assumption it's being backed up). It all shows up on my iPad as well, as do pics and apps. The phone and iPad must be passing notes back and forth when I'm not looking....... edit: Thinking about it, I guess that stuff is backed up to my iPad so I could look up contact info there and go find another phone to use while I wait for Verizon to provide the new, loaded phone.

I do use the lock feature. I have it go to lock after a short period of inactivity so it seemed like I was spending my life typing in the password. Then I got the "digital thumb print thingy" going where I put my right thumb over a sensor and the phone unlocks. I hope that means that some unauthorized someone who had my phone would not be able to access it.

If I can believe what the Verizon clerk told me, if I lost the phone while traveling, I could go to the nearest Verizon store and likely the same day they could give me another phone loaded with my stuff. Or they would ship me one if I called it in. I've never had to take them up on it so it's just hearsay to me so far.

Thanks for your explanation and comments.

Glad to hear your situation worked out! Here in Chicago, you'd never, not once, not ever, never, get the PD to come out to help retrieve your phone.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Awesome story, and well told!

It's possible they didn't turn the phone off because they might have figured if they shut it off they wouldn't have a chance to unlock it. Or maybe they'd tried to unlock it X number of times and they only had one more shot and then the phone would permanently lock. Who knows?

There is a rash of phone thefts in the Twin Cities area, usually in the entertainment districts at closing time. Many stories in the papers and in the news about this. I suppose the cops in St. Paul are committed to breaking up this particular crime.

 

[latexman]

And what if . . . “I knock on the door of the home it is pinging to, the Homeowner” presses a Glock to my head and pulls the trigger.

Not me, not over a phone.

 

[badatmath]

And what if . . . “I knock on the door of the home it is pinging to, the Homeowner” presses a Glock to my head and pulls the trigger.

Not me, not over a phone.

+1

We don’t worry about pickpockets so much in the US do we? Ladies leave their purses in the shopping carts even as they step away in the grocery store, and many people walk around with their phone sticking out of their back pocket.

Sometimes when I see the purses in the shopping cart I want to pick it up and say see how easy it was for me to take this as I hand it back.

 

[aja8888]

My usual place to lose my $175.00 Motorola phone is in a grocery shopping cart top basket. Probably happens about 3 times per year. And the phone keeps coming back!

I'm not much into photos with the phone these days and it has a fingerprint lock.

 

[kgtest]

And what if . . . “I knock on the door of the home it is pinging to, the Homeowner” presses a Glock to my head and pulls the trigger.

Not me, not over a phone.

I suppose that is in the realm of possibilities. But the cop was right there with me and his partner was out in the street in the patrol car backing him up. If the criminal owns a gun, surely he knows first degree intentional murder is 25 to life. Over a phone? I guess i don't live my life with THAT level of fear.

 

[audreyh1]

+1



Sometimes when I see the purses in the shopping cart I want to pick it up and say see how easy it was for me to take this as I hand it back.

Really, a thief just has to unzip it, take out the wallet and anything else valuable, zip it back up and the poor lady won’t know anything happened until she tries to check out.

 

[COcheesehead]

Really, a thief just has to unzip it, take out the wallet and anything else valuable, zip it back up and the poor lady won’t know anything happened until she tries to check out.

Back when I lived in the “big city” there were numerous reports of thieves walking into the local Whole Foods and just grabbing the entire purse out of the cart. Even saw some video of the thefts. The victims were clueless for sometime after the theft and the thief walked away.

 

[Gumby]

Some years back, my oldest nephew and his wife were visiting us here in Connecticut. One day, the two of them took the train into NYC to see the sights. While they were there, he left his cell phone on the subway. Later that day, I get a call from his phone. Some guy found it on the subway and found my name in the contacts, so he called me. He said that if I could prepay for FedEx and send him the necessary shipping number, he would send the phone to me. He kept his word, and my nephew got his phone back

 

[Time2]

+1



Sometimes when I see the purses in the shopping cart I want to pick it up and say see how easy it was for me to take this as I hand it back.

Way off topic, but it reminds me, I was a lost looking for a business so I stopped at the guard shack of a large manufacturing building to ask directions. I went into the the guard shack, the 'guard' was in his chair feet up on the desk snoring away with a TV playing on his desk. I stood there seriously contemplating taking the TV and return it to the management the next day, as this was Sunday. I didn't do it, but always kinda wish I would have.

 

[Time2]

And what if . . . “I knock on the door of the home it is pinging to, the Homeowner” presses a Glock to my head and pulls the trigger.

Not me, not over a phone.

Several years ago, at our business on boat in a marina, a customer made an order and while i got it ready, he left his wallet on the bench and went for a walk on the dock. While that customer was a gone I had 3 guys show up and make a purchase,. As soon as they left, I realized the wallet was gone, and at just about the same time my wife returned and saw the truck they left in. I left and made a 3 or 4 mile round trip to see if I could catch up with them. When I returned my wife said, I might know the area they live in and she left to look. The 3 guys were of a certain racial identity and were driving a truck she had seen. She went to an area she suspected they might live in, did see the truck, got out and checked the hood, it was hot! She went to the door and knocked, the door cracked open just wide enough for a hand come out with the wallet, and a voice said we were going to return it. She grabbed it, brought back to the customer, he was very happy, he was a vet and all his VA stuff plus everything else you would carry in your wallet was there, even the money.
Did I mention she's petite, as in 4'7" 109 lbs!

 

[REWahoo]

Did I mention she's petite, as in 4'7" 109 lbs!

I'm surprised she doesn't weigh more considering the size of her balls!

 

[Time2]

I'm surprised she doesn't weigh more considering the size of her balls!

You got that right!

I once had my bike stolen while at a local food store, I called the police, the store had pictures of the guy wearing his heavy silver chain with a cross. I walked home and called to tell my wife (she was working at our business) This was about 11am, she closed the business two hours early to look for my bike (ya, sure). She called me and ask, "does your seat say CD something on the back?" I said, "ya CD9" she said I think I see your bike at xx gas station. I put on my slip on shoes and raced to the station, I saw him sitting with the bike near him I walked up reached for that chain around his neck, he saw me just in time to deflect my arm and the chase was on, I'm chasing him through the parking lot telling gas customers to grab him, grab him, I lost both shoes fairly early in the chase and he disappeared. I load my bike in the truck and decided take a meandering route to see if I could find him. I didn't, so I just got back on the main road home, and then I saw him, I cut across the road to the other side and stopped in front of him, jumped out with all the authority I could muster and ordered, "SIT DOWN". His hands went up in the air and he started side stepping until he got to a point he could run. I got back in my truck and followed until he turned to walk down a sidewalk that was fenced on the side. so I went to the end of that block, he turned around, so I went to the other end, he turned around again, this went on a few times, in the mean time my wife called a cop friend of hers who happen to be two blocks away. I got my bike back and was told he spent 4 nights in jail.
50+ year old bike thief! Arrgh.
Yes, I didn't lock my bike. He kept my lock, had put his own on, removed one of the two water bottle holders and my small pack of bike tools.

 

[JoeWras]

These are great stories, but I'm very concerned about crime. I don't share the optimism of DYI stolen item recovery.

In our area, we recently had a Home Depot employee die due to injuries sustained on the job when he was violently shoved to the ground as he was attempting to slow down or stop a shoplifter. The security footage shown in the following article makes me ill. The perp is still on the run and now faces possible murder charges. All for a couple of Ryobi tools.

https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-ne...plifting-police-say-suspect-still-on-the-run/

 

[tmm99]

This happened a few years ago. - A young guy left his phone in a taxi in Ontario, Canada and traced it and went to where it was. He ended up getting shot to death. Obviously, this guy didn't take the police with him as the OP did. It can end badly if you do this on your own.

I went to Japan a few weeks ago and stayed for about two weeks and the whole time I was there, I wore my phone on my waist in a holster. This was the only way I could make sure that I wouldn't lose my phone! I figured it would be tragic/messy/complicated if I lost my phone in a foreign country, so that's what I did...

 

[folivier]

Easy way to identify your bike, pull the seat and stick a business card into the seat post.

 

[sengsational]

Wow! Interesting that some folks are that connected to their stuff that they'd risk bodily harm for it. Not me! Id report it stolen and if it was insured and more than the deductible, file a claim. Letting a thief off the hook might not be "right", but it's not my job to correct unfairness in the world.

 

[KarenF]

Just a quick note - you can back your phone photos up immediately with either Google Photos or free Dropbox, and, yes I do both. If I lose my phone I lose nothing except the phone. I am glad you got your phone back! The thief was not too bright lol.

 

[Vacation4us]

My DH has a knack for finding lost cell phones. Easiest way to find the owner: hit the home button and say “call home” or “call mom”. He has found and returned 3 phones in the last couple years.

The first was found on our walk we reached mom and apparently the kid who lost it was not allowed to be in the area we found it. Oops sorry kid

The second in the street run over on the way to take me to the ER. Yeah I will admit that one ticked the wife off. Geez who cares about someone’s phone I can’t breathe!!

The third in the San Jose Airport on a pile of sweatshirts in a shop. By the time we reached the owner her gate was closed. She insisted she needed the phone for work and would he overnight it to her. $125.00 to overnight to Arizona, Omg. She did reimburse him later.

He also has found a wallet on a freeway on-ramp. Reached the owner because his drivers license was in the wallet.

DH has spidey senses and notices everything. Guess that’s what made him a good cop.

May DH be around when you lose your next phone lol.

 

[Koolau]

You got that right!

I once had my bike stolen while at a local food store, I called the police, the store had pictures of the guy wearing his heavy silver chain with a cross. I walked home and called to tell my wife (she was working at our business) This was about 11am, she closed the business two hours early to look for my bike (ya, sure). She called me and ask, "does your seat say CD something on the back?" I said, "ya CD9" she said I think I see your bike at xx gas station. I put on my slip on shoes and raced to the station, I saw him sitting with the bike near him I walked up reached for that chain around his neck, he saw me just in time to deflect my arm and the chase was on, I'm chasing him through the parking lot telling gas customers to grab him, grab him, I lost both shoes fairly early in the chase and he disappeared. I load my bike in the truck and decided take a meandering route to see if I could find him. I didn't, so I just got back on the main road home, and then I saw him, I cut across the road to the other side and stopped in front of him, jumped out with all the authority I could muster and ordered, "SIT DOWN". His hands went up in the air and he started side stepping until he got to a point he could run. I got back in my truck and followed until he turned to walk down a sidewalk that was fenced on the side. so I went to the end of that block, he turned around, so I went to the other end, he turned around again, this went on a few times, in the mean time my wife called a cop friend of hers who happen to be two blocks away. I got my bike back and was told he spent 4 nights in jail.
50+ year old bike thief! Arrgh.
Yes, I didn't lock my bike. He kept my lock, had put his own on, removed one of the two water bottle holders and my small pack of bike tools.

I had a friend who w*rked in a prison. He planned to write a book after retirement: "We Ain't In Here Cause We Smart!" Never got written but had a "killer" title.

 

[kgtest]

I dropped my (waterproof) camera into the river at Weeki Wachee and thought I'd never see it again. I didn't care about the $99 or or whatever, but I'd loose all my pictures! Oh, the humanity!

Anyway, I paddled hard against the current, going back to looked for it where it might have gone overboard. The water is crystal clear spring water, so I did find it!

But the point is, when I got home, I quickly scanned the 50 or so photos from the trip, posted two pictures on FB, got two "likes" from the people that were in the photos, and haven't even had even a fleeting thought about reviewing the photos since. So yes, photos are "irreplaceable", but in a few years, if a short time slot of kid photos is gone, I'd wager you wouldn't even notice.

Still, satisfying to recover the phone. At first, I though it would have been better to report the perp to the employer to prevent systemic theft from by cleaning crew. But given it's public housing, threatening the livelihood just seems too mean.

I did report the incident to the cleaning company of the event center/hockey arena.

 

[Gremlin]

What a great Samaritan! Your DH is the kind of person that gives the rest of us hope for humanity. Although, granted, I can understand slowing down the trip to the ER would have been a little disconcerting


I lost my phone at a show in a crowded civic center once and my husband called my number. The lost and found answered it because another Good Samaritan, like your husband, had turned it in.

My DH has a knack for finding lost cell phones. Easiest way to find the owner: hit the home button and say “call home” or “call mom”. He has found and returned 3 phones in the last couple years.

The first was found on our walk we reached mom and apparently the kid who lost it was not allowed to be in the area we found it. Oops sorry kid

The second in the street run over on the way to take me to the ER. Yeah I will admit that one ticked the wife off. Geez who cares about someone’s phone I can’t breathe!!

The third in the San Jose Airport on a pile of sweatshirts in a shop. By the time we reached the owner her gate was closed. She insisted she needed the phone for work and would he overnight it to her. $125.00 to overnight to Arizona, Omg. She did reimburse him later.

He also has found a wallet on a freeway on-ramp. Reached the owner because his drivers license was in the wallet.

DH has spidey senses and notices everything. Guess that’s what made him a good cop.

May DH be around when you lose your next phone lol.