Guest farkah Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 Hi. recently, phone (MDA Vario III) 'fell' out of my bag while on a train. It was naughty, managed to unzip the bag itself and jump out somehow... Alas, the Tytn II is a smart phone... so smart, i taught it to call home. however, T-Mobile refuse to provide me information about it. My phone!! yes its been 'blocked'.. reported stolen etc, however its still being used. I explained to them (i work with telco networks.. have installed GSM mobile phone equipment into cell sites etc) that they keep a database of whenever a phone tries to use the network - based on the IEMI number. That this number is used and stored each time a little phone moves around the network. They say, they don't have this information. So I say to them... i have the phone number they are using on MY phone... they say i need the security information of this number before they will tell me... WTF... i've reported the phone stolen, its being used by some s**t-stain of a person, and they actively refuse to provide me with my information. then after a while, i talk to a 'manager' who says that they do not have the information regarding usage of MY phone. I have to go through the police to get the information... this is after being told adamently that they do not keep this information.... who later stated that they do not have this information at 'Customer Services' to which point i reply, i am a customer asking for a service... Does anyone know exactly which department i should be talking to within t-mobile? (I am not going to ring the number and talk to them... whole new kettle of fish if I let s**t-stain know I know them) So, t-mobile it would seem are aiding and abetting some thief - their 'block' does not work. I am truly disgusted with them, and now locked into a contract which i soo want to be out of. They know that a stolen phone is being used on their network, and will do nothing to stop it. Does any legal eagles have any advice for me? The police are not interested in using the evidence that I have.
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 So how do you know it's being used? P
Guest farkah Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) So how do you know it's being used? P http://www.wimp-software.co.uk/ still responds - with the pin i set. They aren't the cleverest... after two weeks, still not done a full hardware reset. Edited April 17, 2008 by farkah
Guest Mysterious Stranger Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 So, t-mobile it would seem are aiding and abetting some thief - their 'block' does not work. I am truly disgusted with them, and now locked into a contract which i soo want to be out of. They know that a stolen phone is being used on their network, and will do nothing to stop it. Sorry for you mate. I used to work for a telco as well. For reasons I don't quite understand, back when 3g came out, IMEI barring didn't work on 3g networks *at all* - only if the handset went onto a 2g signal would it stop working - might have changed now though. Any requests for traces etc had to be run through a police liason team, at the time ( 3 yrs ago ) only urgent cases got looked at i.e child abduction. For one handset sadly they really aren't going to care. I would use the number to smoke them out. Give it a few days / weeks, call them up anonymously, say the number is linked to a competition prize etc and ask them where to send it - says it'sGMTV or sumat txt entry section ;-) Use http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis⊂=phonenr to work out their network and make it sound more plausable. Have a 'script' ready first. Have a 'competiton address' and disposable mobile number lined up to give to them. Then, either give the info to the police (make it as easy as possible, show them your box etc, get t-mob to confirm in writing you reported it ) or deal with it yourself... M.S
Guest farkah Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 drat... just found this: http://wimp-software.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=396
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 http://www.wimp-software.co.uk/ still responds - with the pin i set. They aren't the cleverest... after two weeks, still not done a full hardware reset. So you have a GPS position? Can't you grab a friendly copper and go and retrieve your phone? P
Guest farkah Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 I would use the number to smoke them out. Give it a few days / weeks, call them up anonymously, say the number is linked to a competition prize etc and ask them where to send it - says it'sGMTV or sumat txt entry section ;-) M.S :D fun could be had!! I guess though, little more than letting the Police do their thing.... but i always figure, they got bigger issues than a missing mobile phone.
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 I think baking these security systems into ROMs has real potential. I use Sprite Terminator myself (details) and have been meaning to bake it into ROM for ages :D P
Guest farkah Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 So you have a GPS position? Can't you grab a friendly copper and go and retrieve your phone? P they have to do it 'their' way... the GPS isn't enough to pinpoint a person carrying the phone.
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 In some situations it probably would be! Sigh, kinda sucks... there needs to be one of these apps that can remotely overwrite the bootloader (i.e. make the device completely self destruct!) P
Guest deadphill Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 Is there not a chance you can go into a police station and ask to speak to the on duty Sargent? Perhaps ask them. If you dont get any help that way I would try these routes: 1. Ask for the contact details of the police complaints commission. As you are not exactly drunk, out of your head on drugs (I assume!!) and not in the middle of being arrested and taken into the custody suite that might make them sit up and listen. 2. Write an e-mail and/or letter to your local mp and to the commissioner for your county. It might take a while but the way I see it is this. You pay your council tax and while they have to priortise you are entitled to have your crime followed up in the face of the evidence you have. Rather ironically, I work on the government contract for fingerprints, supporting the computer hardware that fingerprints are taken on. One of these items is called a lantern which is a mobile device (wm5 pda with gprs card) which checks suspects details while out and about and can save coppers hours in time identifying crooks and bringing them to justice. Hopefully if there ever is a modaco event I will be able to show this off to everyone! I wanted to say more on this but having read through all of this I cant remember what I can and cant say about it so I have deleted the rest of this reply. Sorry if its a bit disjointed. Good luck with getting your phone back, and hopefully you will get some justice. Phill
Guest farkah Posted April 17, 2008 Report Posted April 17, 2008 eeds to be one of these apps that can remotely overwrite the bootloader (i.e. make the device completely self destruct!) that would be neat. Destroy the phone, at least rendering it a true brick. This should come from the networks though - their kill signal should kill the phone, not 'block' it. Especially when the device costs more than a laptop. I've resigned to the fact that this phone is gone really. Sad, cause its a brilliant device. my insurance refuse to cover it... because... it was not in my home at the time therefore... not home or personal contents... WTF??? i've since cancelled with them, gone with somewhere else who have stated to me that personal belongings are covered outside the house... 'if i lost my phone at the beach while on holiday in Cornwell (for instance) its covered? Yes, as covered in clause {whatever it was}'
Guest weeerob Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 I'd forgotten about this software, I'm sure I'd read about a freeware on that does something similar, can anyone remember what it is?
Guest Shadowfixeruk Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 I think baking these security systems into ROMs has real potential. I use Sprite Terminator myself (details) and have been meaning to bake it into ROM for ages :D P Paul, what do you mean by bake it into ROM? (or i think i know what you mean... more how would you go about it?)... Ta SF
Guest dunc Posted April 18, 2008 Report Posted April 18, 2008 Sprite Terminator does everything you could want it to do including locking up the phone, remote wipe, reset master password and gps tracking. Tells you when a new sim card is put in and lets you know the phone number too. Not bad for $14. Very user-friendly too. Bit late now, I know but I use it and it does give peace of mind. (I am a sports journalist with plenty of famous people's numbers, none of whom would thank me for letting their personal numbers loose in the wild! http://www.spritesoftware.com/
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