Purchased Stolen iPhone...Any Way to Find Original Owner to Return it?

[El3ctronics]

So I'm an idiot and I purchased a stolen iPhone that is attached to an iCloud account and is basically a paperweight to me. As such, I'd rather return it to the original owner who lost it so they can get their phone back instead of it collecting dust in a drawer. Any way to find the original owner?

 

[SeilerBird]

I would call the local police department and have them search the national database of stolen objects, if there is one.

 

[MaskedCarrot]

Forget the local police department. Most people never file police reports.

Take it to whichever carrier its on and they will find the original owner.

 

[cnev3]

So I'm an idiot and I purchased a stolen iPhone that is attached to an iCloud account and is basically a paperweight to me. As such, I'd rather return it to the original owner who lost it so they can get their phone back instead of it collecting dust in a drawer. Any way to find the original owner?

Give us more details. Did you buy it from craigslist, or ebay? Do you have the contact info of the seller?

 

[Sulten]

use siri to find the orig owner

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/use-siri-to-find-a-lost-iphones-owner/

 

[cnev3]

use siri to find the orig owner

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/use-siri-to-find-a-lost-iphones-owner/

That's pretty damn cool!

 

[AFDoc]

So I'm an idiot and I purchased a stolen iPhone that is attached to an iCloud account and is basically a paperweight to me. As such, I'd rather return it to the original owner who lost it so they can get their phone back instead of it collecting dust in a drawer. Any way to find the original owner?

What was that little ditty P.T. Barnum used to say?

 

[Newtons Apple]

Hope you find them. It is possible they will let you keep and give you the code. Either way you are doing the "right" thing and very few here would do the same.

 

[El3ctronics]

Give us more details. Did you buy it from craigslist, or ebay? Do you have the contact info of the seller?

It was purchased on Craigslist and I should have checked the IMEI but I didn't even try to set it up until I got home when it told me it was linked to another iCloud account. I tried contacting the seller but he used a Google number and never answered or responded to any messages again.

I did contact the police and they took down all the information about the phone and about the seller but they haven't been much help at all unfortunately.

 

[BeeGood]

Man I'm sorry to hear that. Some people really suck and I hate that you're our a few hundred bucks because of that.

I second the guy who said take it to the carrier. The police will likely be no help and and if it was stolen in another jurisdiction they can't help you even if hey tried. Someone at your carrier store should be able to look up the IMEI on the back and find the owner. Good luck and kudos for doing the right thing!

 

[MH01]

awesome gesture from you OP to find the original owner. Good luck.

 

[dictoresno]

i would contact the carrier or apple so they can track down the owner.

 

[sodapop1]

use siri to find the orig owner

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/use-siri-to-find-a-lost-iphones-owner/

Good feature but it will only work if the owner has actually configured the "My Info" settings which in my case the answer is no.