Heellllllp! Found an iPhone, screen is destroyed, how do i find the owner?

[obesecitizens]

Ok im in a bit of a rut, i was walking home and found an iphone 4g on an intersection, the screen was so thoroughly destroyed it must have gotten run over by a car, though it was in a case which keept the broken shards in place. It still works when i press any of the external buttons, and have even been getting calls and texts and stuff! The problem is, i can't answer any of them because there are no images displayed on the screen, just a bunch of flashing lines. I'm trying to find the owner by plugging it into my computer but it says that it is locked so i can't access anything.

If it gets to be a huge pain in the butt to return it, i might as well keep it, but then i'd probably have to deal with tracking issues?

Halp i wanna do both! but if there is a way to find out who it belongs to i would love to return it to them!!!

 

[Leet Apple]

If You really want to find the owner i'd recommend putting the Sim into yours/friends iPhone 4 Otherwise keep it on hopefully they got Find my iPhone

 

[ThomasJL]

Ok im in a bit of a rut, i was walking home and found an iphone 4g on an intersection, the screen was so thoroughly destroyed it must have gotten run over by a car, though it was in a case which keept the broken shards in place. It still works when i press any of the external buttons, and have even been getting calls and texts and stuff! The problem is, i can't answer any of them because there are no images displayed on the screen, just a bunch of flashing lines. I'm trying to find the owner by plugging it into my computer but it says that it is locked so i can't access anything.

If it gets to be a huge pain in the butt to return it, i might as well keep it, but then i'd probably have to deal with tracking issues?

Halp i wanna do both! but if there is a way to find out who it belongs to i would love to return it to them!!!

To find the owner, call Apple Care at 1-800-APL-CARE. They may either know some way to get you to see and read to them the serial number of the iPhone, which will be linked in their database to the name of the purchaser; or they will ship you a postage-paid padded box to return the iPhone to them in, which then they will be able to find the serial number and contact the owner.

 

[violetp]

To find the owner, call Apple Care at 1-800-APL-CARE. They may either know some way to get you to see and read to them the serial number of the iPhone, which will be linked in their database to the name of the purchaser; or they will ship you a postage-paid padded box to return the iPhone to them in, which then they will be able to find the serial number and contact the owner.

Well, this MIGHT work. But, in my experience, Apple is very strict about customer privacy so they most likely would not give you any information. I bought a used iPad and called apple to verify that it was not stolen and everything was in order, however they could not verify that the person I bought it from was the registered owner.

I would try popping the sim into another iPhone 4 and calling a number like "mom" "dad", etc.

I'd return it. Don't keep it, unless YOU KNOW you have REALLY tried EVERYTHING to return it. I would die if I lost my iPhone/iPad and it wasn't returned. Karma is a B.

Good Luck

 

[Leet Apple]

Well, this MIGHT work. But, in my experience, Apple is very strict about customer privacy so they most likely would not give you any information. I bought a used iPad and called apple to verify that it was not stolen and everything was in order, however they could not verify that the person I bought it from was the registered owner.

I would try popping the sim into another iPhone 4 and calling a number like "mom" "dad", etc.

I'd return it. Don't keep it, unless YOU KNOW you have REALLY tried EVERYTHING to return it. I would die if I lost my iPhone/iPad and it wasn't returned. Karma is a B.

Good Luck

He Can't Really Return it....unless he takes it to the carrier and they contact the owner

 

[wordoflife]

I think your best bet is to take the phone to AT&T and have then contact the owner. Don't leave the phone at AT&T though.

 

[tactician1016]

Kudos for honesty.
My guess is, try taking it to an Apple store. They might be able to help. Or, if you can see the serial number, try that on the apple website.

 

[blevins321]

If You really want to find the owner i'd recommend putting the Sim into yours/friends iPhone 4 Otherwise keep it on hopefully they got Find my iPhone

I did this with a phone I found that had a passcode on it. Sim didn't have any contacts on it, so I couldn't call anyone. Left the SIM in my phone for a couple hours until a call was received..from the owner's wife. The phone was found in the Chicago airport. I caught a flight back home to Ohio, and he had caught a flight back home to Vancouver, BC.

I offered to mail the phone back, and she promptly insisted on paying me for the trouble. I didn't want a reward, but she insisted. So she Western Unioned me money for Fedex Express. Went to the gas station expecting $20 for the shipping..she had wired $300.

Karma can pay off sometimes..and people are very grateful for good Samaritans. Don't do it for the reward though; I wasn't expecting one. Do it to pay back your fellow Applenuts

 

[Mac'nCheese]

One way to get a clue...

You can plug it in to your mac and get a name. I found one just like you did, and itunes said "joe blo's' iphone is locked.