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ssavoy
Premium Member
join:2007-08-16
Dallas, PA

ssavoy to Hall

Premium Member

to Hall

Re: Not their fault

It's honestly not their responsibility to help you find stolen property. They provide you with a service...that service is not helping you find your lost or stolen device. Take it up with the police. That's their job.

Hall
MVM
join:2000-04-28
Germantown, OH

Hall

MVM

This is about having a technological means of making it non-beneficial to steal an item. Why would anyone be against that ? The police will NOT look for a stolen phone, well, unless it's a missing Apple prototype !!

If such a system were in place and a person tries to activate a phone that's been reported stolen, what would happen ? Would they simply refuse to activate it ? Would they quietly notify the police and keep the person in the store until they arrived ? My money says no store will want to get involved - they'll simply say "this phone's ID # has been reported stolen so we're unable to activate it for you. We're not accusing you of stealing it either...".
Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA

Sammer

Member

said by Hall:

This is about having a technological means of making it non-beneficial to steal an item.

What some in law enforcement want is for cellphones to have a "kill switch". Once the phone is reported stolen a signal would be sent to it (anywhere in the world) that would prevent it from being used.
ssavoy
Premium Member
join:2007-08-16
Dallas, PA

ssavoy to Hall

Premium Member

to Hall
The best thing I can come up with is if the phone is brought into a store to be activated, then it is confiscated and the original account holder is notified. I mean all you have to do now is report the phone as stolen and it won't work anymore. That should theoretically be enough to deter someone. I'm not against putting a system in place, but it's still not the carrier's responsibility.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK to Sammer

Premium Member

to Sammer
I like the idea, but then I wonder if they would eff it up so that hackers figure out to mass brick phones.