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DroidRules

macrumors 65816
Aug 10, 2010
1,006
1
So I'm hearing two approaches.

1: Assume the people are good and just made a mistake in picking up the iPhone when they had the chance. Send them a message over Find-My-iPhone and somehow arrange to get it back. But there were contact numbers in the address book where they could have called if they had wanted to make the effort to try to find the owner. And there is a chance they're illegal aliens (because of the out-of-country text messages) and would want to avoid any kind of trouble or contact.

(On the note I posted on the dumpster I mentioned the option of taking the phone to a nearby store, thus allowing them to avoid any contact with me personally.)

2: Assume the people are bad. Call the police. Give no advance notice over Find-My-iPhone, and if the police are willing, go knock on doors, ready to trigger a sound on the phone.
You of course could also tell your friend to tell their child not to lose their phone. Practice by prevention.
 

Monet444

macrumors newbie
Feb 4, 2013
1
0
I found my iPhone and I got it back too

Hi
My name is Annabella, I am Italian but I live in London UK, I think I am a fairly normal person, at the moment my cat is very ill, I took him to the vet Saturday but he didn't give me much hope, may be 1 or 2 weeks before will be put to sleep, in my iphone I have the best pictures and moment with my cat Pip.
Sunday afternoon I went out for a short shopping trip, I was in House of Fraser in the Mac make-up counter, and I was trying some mineral powder, but the colors were or too pale or too dark, I took the powder back checking for a new one, it was matter of seconds, I forgot to take with me my handbag, when I returned to my chair, it was less then 2m away, my handbag was gone,with my bag also my purse, my home key, my credit card, 2 debit cards from two different banks, and a savings account cash card. £ 50 cash. And other things such personal items and also my best companion my iPhone 4S,
I went out shopping with my best friend Martin, but since I was going to try make up he went to PC World, so there I was totally lost, very upset, on the verge of tears, not a penny in my pocket and not a way to communicate, the security come I wanted to go , but they kept saying perhaps there was a picture of the person who did it, I wait for ages and then the answer that area it not under checked by cctv cameras, because the camera it direct on the till, very well they don't trust their own staff, obviously, when I saw my hopes fading away I left, searching for my
friend, it took me about 20 min to find him.
He has an iPhone we have both downloaded the app "find my iPhone" It took us about 15 minute to organize ourselves, walked to the car park and start the tracking, honestly, I didn't know what to expect, we followed the tracks at East Croydon station, to the tram line first of all I forgotten to say we put the phone on lost mode at 16:10 and we locked with a password, following the tracks we ended up in New Addington at 16:43 located exactly in Chertesy Crescent, we got off the car and looked everywhere around, it was an estate with a block of flats.
Eventually we locate exactly the flats where my iPhone was, I was wondering in what the heck I am going to do now???????????????????
This places can be very dangerous, ring the bell? call the police?
My iPhone had very little power remaining I could not lose any time and I was thinking about the pictures I had on it of my very ill cat, that made me want to cry, but yet I was filled with rage!!!
There were 5 bell ring I rang all of them and when somebody answered I said:
I know you have my phone it was taken with my bag from "House of Fraser" they have the photo of the person who took it on CCTV, Martin wanted to prevent me from ringing the bells, he called me stupid and silly, but I didn't care, he was afraid somebody could come out with a knife, as we were walking back to the car a black woman in a dressing gown come out there and she called us, she said a girl had given her the phone, she went upstairs to get the phone, when she went upstairs we heard her shouting something may be on the phone, she come down and took from her dressing gown pocket my adorable, beloved old friend my iPhone !!!
and asked us to wait because the girl was about to return since she was out grocery shopping nearby.
The fact I was so stupid to believe when she said she found the phone on the tram, now I remember I saw her I thought for such slim black lady she had a very big bag, that is why I remember her in the shop in Mac cosmetics, and after we left she or may be one of her friends used my debit card and made 2 transaction of 40 pounds each for a pay as you go phone.
the bank I contacted has cancelled all my cards, and have stopped the payments I would like to make a report to the police but they don't really seem to much interested in those people who earn their living going out targeting people to rob...
But I have to say thank you to the apple application and to Martin




:)
 

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
there's nothing that can be done if your phone ends up in some apartment block.


the police will not raid the whole building looking for it.
You are exactly right. They could however knock on doors and ask questions. They would not be able to search each apartment. The phone is gone.
 

SAD*FACED*CLOWN

macrumors 65816
Apr 5, 2010
1,342
1
Houston, TX
there's nothing that can be done if your phone ends up in some apartment block.


the police will not raid the whole building looking for it.

that's not true...depends on the police in question.....I work at a community college in Texas and iPhones get stolen on campus all the time...an instructor had her phone taken and tracked it to an aprtment complex not far from the college...the teacher calls HPD and they accompany her to the apartment complex that's in the location of the blue dot that reperesented the iPhone. The police knocked on every door in the complex until the phone was retrieved...they did this by process of elimination...there were at least 7 buildings in this apt. complex...they only canvassed the apts nearest the blue dot.

----------

You are exactly right. They could however knock on doors and ask questions. They would not be able to search each apartment. The phone is gone.

I was told by a police officer that if someone's stolen iPhone shows up in your house or on your property that's enough probable cause to search
 
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