Checking lost/stolen status on old phone

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linker3000 - 18 Nov 2006 17:37 GMT

Hi Folks,

Our local Village Hall Manager (my father!) found a Nokia 3230 while
clearing out a back room about a month ago. The phone was most likely
left by someone using the hall at least 6+ months ago, but no-one has
enquired about it, there's no contacts in the phone and the SIM (an O2
pay as you go) is PIN locked. We presume the phone was lost at least 6
months ago because of the lack of received/made calls in the lists and a
setting we found which says that numbers on those lists should be kept
for 6 months.

We had a look through the phone after I plugged in my Vodafone contract
SIM in and it seems to register with the network but if I try and make a
call I just get 3 rapid tones - I suspect this means the phone has been
reported lost/stolen and blocked - would this sound about right and is
there any way to check this?

If I call O2 about the phone will they be able to track the owner via
the IMEI on a non-contract phone?

If the owner can't be traced would the police be interested or should we
just bin it?

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djc - 18 Nov 2006 19:10 GMT

> Hi Folks,
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> If the owner can't be traced would the police be interested or should we
> just bin it?

The network can trace the owner and contact him/her but not give you the
details or pass on yours to them. They will pass the phone back or give
them the name of the police station you take it to. The police can also
trace the owner and contact them.
This is done via the actual phone number, not the IMEI, so I hope the phone
wasn't stolen when it was left !
Mobile companies keep details for years, certainly for numbers called and
received and text messages. They are all cross referenced to IMEI numbers.
That's how they trace people and how the police keep track of people. It's
odd that more isn't done to trace stolen mobiles or block them ! Loss of
calls = loss of profit.

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newsbrowser - 01 Dec 2006 18:20 GMT

being a bit cynical about your closing statement (loss of calls = loss of
profit), I feel that loss of phone = possible increase in profit (if you buy
a new phone when they dont recover your lost/stolen one)

anyone else got any views on that concept?

>> Hi Folks,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> people. It's odd that more isn't done to trace stolen mobiles or block
> them ! Loss of calls = loss of profit.

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