What to do when your cell phone gets lost...

Unknown

[Frwy]

I searched on the title and found nothing even similar.

Here is something worth knowing if you have a mobile phone ....Have you ever wondered why phone companies don't seem interested in trying to prevent the theft of mobile phones? If you have ever lost, or had one stolen, and if you are on a plan, you still have to pay the plan approximately up to 24 months, and you have to buy another handset and enter into another contract. This is more revenue for the phone company.

There is a simple way of making lost or stolen mobiles useless to thieves and the phone companies know about it, but keep it quiet.

To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in the following on your phone: star-hash-zero-six-hash (* # 0 6 #) and a fifteen digit code will appear on the screen. This is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it safe.

Should your mobile phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset, so even if the thief changes the sim card, your phone will be totally useless.

You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either.

If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile phones. You may want to send this to as many people with mobiles as possible.

No charge for directory assistance. Phone companies are charging us $1.00 or more for 411 - information calls when they don't have to. When you need to use the 411/information option, simply dial 1-800-FREE-411 or 1-800-373-3411 without incurring a charge.

This works on all cell phones.

[Cagey]

Thief Hides Cell Phone In Her Bum
Ananova.com
October 6, 2005

Above: police photo of the stolen phone

Romanian police caught a female mobile phone thief by dialling the stolen phone - and hearing it ringing from her bum.

Police in Lasi stopped Petronela Brandus, 24, as she tried to get off a bus after other passengers said they saw her steal a mobile phone.

But after a search failed to find the phone, police decided to call the number to see where it was and heard a muffled ringing coming from under the woman's dress.

She was taken to a local police station where a strip search by female police officers revealed she had hidden it up her bottom, local daily 7 Plus reported.

Officer Madalin Taranu said: "We've had people hiding things in their bras and panties before, but this was a new one.

"The station doctor extracted the phone and we sprayed it with disinfectant before handing it back to its owner."

[fish hawk]

Me too. What a bunck of bull bunk. Waste our time.

[subterfuge]

Only additional cost was a new handset

And did the new handset cost 5 times more than the original? They usually do since the phone companies know they already have your biz.

[Yo-Yo]

I wish I could do that with some people's cell phones when they insist on having a conversation at a restaurant...

[Cobra64]

wHEN I POST THE *#06# i GET NOTHING???

aNd EYE no WhY.

[chris_ab]

Have I lost you to the basement?

[Gamecock]

I started a leg of a several state, two continent trip through DFW a few months ago.

As my plane was being pushed back from the gate the usual announcement to turn off cell phones as made. I reached to my hip to turn of my phone and discovered it was gone. While waiting for my connecting flight at Cincinnati, I dug through my carry on luggage and my phone was not there.

Now, it was Sunday night, my phone is a government phone issued in Germany, so there really was nothing I could do other than call my wife back home and have her call my unit the next morning and turn of the card. I thought for sure I had left it in my rental car, but after a few calls that week they denied having seen my phone.

A week later I passed back through DFW and talked to the TSA folks, thinking maybe I had left it at the Security Checkpoint. The gentlemen pulled out a lost and found book and someone had indeed logged in a Nokia phone about 30 minutes after I passed through that check point a week earlier.

He put me in touch with Travelers Aid (two terminals over) and I described the phone to them. They asked me the code, which I didn't have committed to memory, (it is a new phone) but I described it well enough that they said they thought my cell phone was in their collection. I went over and they indeed had my phone! The card was fried, but I had my phone back and that saved me from having to pay for it....

[Frwy]

Egads, I'm sorry. My friendly source told me she had checked it and determined it was true. I will NEVER post again without doing the research myself. My friend is in for a verbal tongue lashing too.

How do I get the thread pulled?

[LonePalm]

Self ping for later.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[mwilli20]

Sent a Note to "Admin Moderator", or hit the "Report Abuse" button on your own post and explain the situation.

However, I would leave it just for fun, as of post 21 we are on to a romanian skank who stole a phone, hid it up her bum, and GET THIS, the police sprayed it with disinfectant and returned to the owner!!!!

Stop it, I can't take this anymore!

[Dr._Joseph_Warren]

Romanian police caught a female mobile phone thief by dialling the stolen phone - and hearing it ringing from her bum.

They didn't stay on the call long because the phone had crappy reception.

;)

[Arrowhead1952]

Good one. I wanted to stop and ask a lady if she would be able to drive better if I did that with her cell phone this past weekend. She almost hit me in a Walmart parking lot, and then bumped into my daughter's car before pulling onto the road at a stop sign.

[Cagey]

LOL!

I don't know if she'd be able to drive any better, but because many newer cell phones have GPS technology built in now, she'd never be lost. Or, at least she'd know the difference between her @ss and her elbow.

[Frwy]

I'VE REQUESTED THAT THE THREAD BE PULLED.

[NonValueAdded]

wHEN I POST THE *#06# i GET NOTHING???

Wait until you see your next bill ;) Just kidding. maybe.

[Arthalion]

Why? Debunking urban legends is fun. Besides, the code actually does work on my phone.

[Arthalion]

"The station doctor extracted the phone and we sprayed it with disinfectant before handing it back to its owner."

Ummm....ewwwwwww.

[thoughtomator]

If there ever was a time to set the ringer to "vibrate"...

[ThinkDifferent]

The code works on my Cingular GSM phone and I didn't know about it, so I'm glad to have seen it.

[IamConservative]

I just bought a $400 Blackberry on E-bay for $130. The seller indicated it have been unlocked for any GSM netowrk. The seller reported to be with a wholesaler of cellular equipment and had very positive feedback. I was a little leary, but have been very satisfied with it so far. As it relates, the unlocking process requires that you have the ID this key sequence will produce (on some phones.)

I took the risk because I get sick of my contract being extended averytime one of the four phones on my plan goes caput.