Lost my mobile phone, what are my chances of getting it back?

[pixie_genie]

Hi all

yah, had a sleepless night...blaming myself for carelessly leaving my mobile phone behind at the petrol minimart counter...keep replaying the scene over and over again and am very sure I didn't drop it - I must have just absent-mindedly LEFT it on the counter next to the nets machine and walked away after payment...there was a long queue behind me so anyone could have just taken it, even the cashiers.

it's true that the police aren't willing to investigate such 'petty crimes' - they must have tons of such reports daily and it's just too TRIVIAL for them to do anything about it. I also agree that if someone picks up something that DO NOT belongs to them then intentionally KEEPING it as their own, it's a DISHONEST ACT and hence A CRIME! So they could have at least used their authority to contact the petrol kiosk on my behalf to ask for the CCTV footage. If they dun have authority to view the tape, who has?

Can the person who picked up my phone resell it without the charger (dat is if she wants a quick buck). Do 2nd hand mobile phone shops accept such sets for sale/trade-in? Won't they find it dubious? I wish Singapore has the lMEI tracking law which Australia implements...it's a protection for us end-consumers.

Personally, I too have picked up wallets, ICs and tried means and ways to deliver them back to the owners at my own inconvenience. It's the smile on their faces (like what many of you said that makes it worthwhile). How can there be people in this world who obviously are so driven by GREED that they blind out their conscience to do the RIGHT THING - that is to return the LOST and FOUND item to its rightful owners? I cannot fathom that...that's why I couldn't sleep. :embrass:

 

[Minus70]

Guess your phone is a gonner. Sorry about your lost. Do you still have your phone box? Can give your IME number to the telco not sure if they can bane the number from registration of phone.

 

[yanyewkay]

They do... i'm not allowed to disclose how though.

aiyah.. i'm not from the industry but i know how the system works, let me spoil the market then, I got no NDA to abide by :bsmilie:

Everytime the mobile logs into the network, it has to send it's IMEI number along with the SIM id and some other "got - dun have"(hokkien trans.) info. This will allow the system to know where you are and to route the phone calls to the correct base stations that will reach you. That's roughly the gist of it. The details, I believe should be available on the net if you dig deep enough.

+evenstar: they tell you "cannot" because they don't have proper systems in place at that time i believe, depending on when you asked and do not want to be legally implicated and responsible to track down lost phones. There are bigger issues related to this service that's why it not really offered to the consumer. I think recent changes in law requires all service providers to log and provide a means to trace phones by IMEI as a means of theft deterrence and counter-terror measure. Not sure when the deadline for the system to be implemented is though.

It is like the police going to a popular mac with wifi access and say, "I want to track this IP address and it's activities, etc.." the store manager will probably dig out a 2GB file log file and ask the police to go figure it out themselves.

 

[pixie_genie]

Hi Minus, yes, have given the IMEI to police. Will be going down to Starhub later to get a new SIM card (but no phone :cry:, the one I lost took me few months to save up - sigh) and also tell them like what everyone suggested to bar the IMEI from being registered.

Some good news - just called the petrol station. The supervisor was there last night when I went back to search for my phone. She agreed to let me view the CCTV footage tomorrow (Says the girl in-charge's OFF today). I know I'll be searching for a needle in a haystack (cos even if I can see who took it, how am I going to locate that person? ). But I still want to see the truth for myself which SOTB is that.

Thanks to all for your posts and advice. Really cheered me up A LOT, knowing that there are fellow CSers who care when bad things happen to good people. :thumbsup: By the way, I know Starhub's customer service number is 1633. What about Singtel and M1? I'll like to inform them about my IMEI too - not going to let the 'thief' enjoy their 'loot' so easily...

 

[centuryegg]

Dont mean to damper your spirits but many dealers take in phones no questions asked. No charger etc... also nevermind. And Imei number.. it is useless cos the telcos do not want to use it to track the phone. All that can happen is if one day a phone at scene of crime gets found and they trace the imei number and then realise it is reported stolen. Please also note that if no police report was made, phone is not considered stolen.

 

[cowism]

Just treat it as a lesson learnt. And get over it

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Hi Minus, yes, have given the IMEI to police. Will be going down to Starhub later to get a new SIM card (but no phone :cry:, the one I lost took me few months to save up - sigh) and also tell them like what everyone suggested to bar the IMEI from being registered.

Some good news - just called the petrol station. The supervisor was there last night when I went back to search for my phone. She agreed to let me view the CCTV footage tomorrow (Says the girl in-charge's OFF today). I know I'll be searching for a needle in a haystack (cos even if I can see who took it, how am I going to locate that person? ). But I still want to see the truth for myself which SOTB is that.

Thanks to all for your posts and advice. Really cheered me up A LOT, knowing that there are fellow CSers who care when bad things happen to good people. :thumbsup: By the way, I know Starhub's customer service number is 1633. What about Singtel and M1? I'll like to inform them about my IMEI too - not going to let the 'thief' enjoy their 'loot' so easily...

Since u are pregnant... i suggest another activity for you...

:bsmilie:Happy Torts!!! :bsmilie:
​

 

[vince123123]

That is why I say the police is always taichi power - I have heard first hand experiences on such things already. As a first line of defence, they will tell you "no crime committed". When you persist that there is a cause of action, their second line of defence is "its a civil claim". After that, when you show them it is a criminal offence, their third line of defence is "we have no power to investigate because it is a non-seizable offence, you need to make a magistrate's complaint yourself"...and the list goes on.

it's true that the police aren't willing to investigate such 'petty crimes' - they must have tons of such reports daily and it's just too TRIVIAL for them to do anything about it. I also agree that if someone picks up something that DO NOT belongs to them then intentionally KEEPING it as their own, it's a DISHONEST ACT and hence A CRIME! So they could have at least used their authority to contact the petrol kiosk on my behalf to ask for the CCTV footage. If they dun have authority to view the tape, who has?

 

[Jaycelim]

They do... i'm not allowed to disclose how though.

I can spill some beans, since I not bond by any agreements.
Telcom logs all the incoming and out call transcation to the CDR for billing purposes. The log details contains both the IMEI and the SIM number. So if the telco really wants to nail down a person, it's really easy. This technology has been around since day 1 when they start GSM.

There are also off the air interceptors that can track down the person on the move. And even a hand held one to move close to the person. Singapore definitely have such equipments but they just don't want to use it for the general public.

 

[centuryegg]

I can spill some beans, since I not bond by any agreements.
Telcom logs all the incoming and out call transcation to the CDR for billing purposes. The log details contains both the IMEI and the SIM number. So if the telco really wants to nail down a person, it's really easy. This technology has been around since day 1 when they start GSM.

There are also off the air interceptors that can track down the person on the move. And even a hand held one to move close to the person. Singapore definitely have such equipments but they just don't want to use it for the general public.

Not surprised... Put it this way, only idiots believe what they say about not being able to track the phone. It is more likely everyone will freak out when they know ACTUALLY they are being tracked.

 

[catchlights]

Sorry to hear about the lost of your mobile phone,
hope this will cheer your up.

 

[MrBig]

Hi guys,

just went for dinner with my hubby and we took the car for a wash at the Esso station along West Coast Road. While waiting, I popped into the minimart to buy bread and then must have dropped my mobile phone while paying for my purchases. I didn't realised it until we drove off. My hubby tried to dial my number, a Malay girl picked up and then hung up immediately. Subsequently, the phone was switched off and channelled to voicemail. :cry: We went back to the station but the cashiers claimed they did not see/find anything...

My mobile phone is Nokia 7390 and I barely used it for 3 months...very heartpain and disappointed with myself for being so careless...Do you think I'll ever get it back? Can I expect some good samaritans to display some honesty and return me my phone? All my contacts my inside and I've no means to retrieve them ever again...:cry: Moreover, I'm pregnant and my doc's mobile number is also stored inside and it won't be another 3 weeks before I see him again...Sigh.

So sad...

I'll make it short and sweet for you dear.

NO WAY!

 

[satay16]

I'll make it short and sweet for you dear.

NO WAY!

i'll make it shorter.

no.

 

[redstorm]

i'll make it shorter.

no.

This is the shortest . :bsmilie:

0

 

[htthach]

last time i lost a laptop confusing between someone break in to my room and take and i forgot on the bus.
i reported to police.
He said "if someone broke in, chance to recover 1% but if you forgot on the bus, chance is 40%"

 

[aq12345]

I agree with you on the moral education bit. S'pore may be not be a 3rd World Nation, but in moral education/integrity/honesty/basically-wherever-it-really-counts-the-most, you can say our country is still in its developing stages.

Like what Static has mentioned, the only thing you can do now is to look forward to a new phone. It would be good to back-up all your contacts on a computer every once in a while, so it does not make the heartache of losing a mobile phone so painful.

You can say that, but seriously. In which country, will you get your lost-phone given back to you? Lets say Japan, tokyo. Look at the number of hoolligans at the streets. Will they give return a phone should they find one? I don't think so. Look at USA, developed nation. The crime rate is highest in the world. I don't think the people will return it too.

However, to TS, every country does have people with a good heart, and people who are filled with greed. Just pray to God and i do hope you get your phone back.

 

[user111]

Hi guys,

just went for dinner with my hubby and we took the car for a wash at the Esso station along West Coast Road. While waiting, I popped into the minimart to buy bread and then must have dropped my mobile phone while paying for my purchases. I didn't realised it until we drove off. My hubby tried to dial my number, a Malay girl picked up and then hung up immediately. Subsequently, the phone was switched off and channelled to voicemail. :cry: We went back to the station but the cashiers claimed they did not see/find anything...

My mobile phone is Nokia 7390 and I barely used it for 3 months...very heartpain and disappointed with myself for being so careless...Do you think I'll ever get it back? Can I expect some good samaritans to display some honesty and return me my phone? All my contacts my inside and I've no means to retrieve them ever again...:cry: Moreover, I'm pregnant and my doc's mobile number is also stored inside and it won't be another 3 weeks before I see him again...Sigh.

So sad...

ZERO CHANCE.

go and buy a new one. get over it. and enjoy the new phone!:thumbsup:

 

[centuryegg]

You can say that, but seriously. In which country, will you get your lost-phone given back to you? Lets say Japan, tokyo. Look at the number of hoolligans at the streets. Will they give return a phone should they find one? I don't think so. Look at USA, developed nation. The crime rate is highest in the world. I don't think the people will return it too.

However, to TS, every country does have people with a good heart, and people who are filled with greed. Just pray to God and i do hope you get your phone back.

Correction..... in Japan, they will return the phone to you. Encountered it first hand. My fixer lost her phone and was late for her appointment with me. Told me that she lost her phone. I said to her, damn that's bad!! She said oh no worries.... Someone found it and it is now with the station master at the train station.

Secondly what hooligans in the street are you talking about? The last trip I made to Tokyo 3 weeks ago... I dont remember seeing any hooligans.....

 

[roygoh]

You can say that, but seriously. In which country, will you get your lost-phone given back to you? Lets say Japan, tokyo. Look at the number of hoolligans at the streets. Will they give return a phone should they find one? I don't think so. Look at USA, developed nation. The crime rate is highest in the world. I don't think the people will return it too.

However, to TS, every country does have people with a good heart, and people who are filled with greed. Just pray to God and i do hope you get your phone back.

Some time you run into people with the heart of an angel in the most unlikely places...

Eight years ago I dropped my handphone on a taxi in Guangzhou China. The taxi driver found it, but did not know how to use it. He took it to his friends and found out how to turn on the phone, and then left the phone on waiting for me to call.

When I called my handphone the driver answered and offered to deliver the phone to the place he picked me up from. I was initially cautious about the situation, thinking he might ask for a lot of money in exhange for the phone, but it turned out that he was genuinely a kind person who just wanterd to return the phone to me.

I still gave him some kopi money and he accepted after a few rounds of refusal and persuasion.

I did not take down his name nor can I remember his face after so many years. However, whenever I think about people who has done good to be in my life he is always remembered and I send good wishes to him.

 

[swampthing]

Unfortunately it's probably gone for good. You can file a police report but unlikely to do much.