Lenovo Idea Tab Pro Review
Every once in a while people lose their precious handsets, either unintentionally left behind or stolen. I’ve personally lost 2 iPhones, a Nexus One, an HTC HD7, a Galaxy Nexus and Droid Razr. If only there were more accurate or high-tech ways to recover them.
The most frequent suggestion is to use an app like Find my iPhone (or something similar) to locate the last known location fo the device.
This interesting story that was recently told to me is a bit extra-ordinary.
A messenger was sent to the telco’s Business Center to pay the bills of a customer. While the sales clerk was checking on documents, he intentionally placed his iPhone 4 inside his table drawer which the messenger saw. The sales agent left his station to go to the back of the office and when he came back, finished the transaction and saw off the messenger.
By lunch time, when the sales agent looked for this iPhone 4 inside the drawer, it was already gone. After frantically looking for it, they decided to seek the help of the network engineers and was able to locate where the last signal the iPhone 4 was sending out from (this is where cell site triangulation is done) before it was turned off.
The suspected location was Makati Cinema Square. Several of his officemates then proceeded to the mall and asked around, pretending they were looking to buy several 2nd-hand iPhone 4 units. They were specific with the iPhone’s color and capacity to narrow down the search.
For each iPhone 4 that was presented to them, they would pretend they were just checking the settings when in fact they were already looking for the IMEI number of the device.
After the 3rd device, they finally found the stolen iPhone 4 with the matching IMEI number. Since the incident happened inside the business center, the telco sent out police officers to the mall and confront the stall owner.
And since the usual strategy in malls like MCS is for one stall owner to scout from other stalls for available units (and just get a commission afterwards), the original stall owner that bought the device was already gone by the time the police arrived.
The iPhone 4 was eventually recovered. It was already restored back to the default factory settings but was already upgraded to iOS 5.
The customer who sent his messenger to the business center was also contacted and the messenger was confronted.
Now that was a lucky one. In many cases I’ve heard which is of similar nature, the stolen phones are rarely recovered. This one’s just that lucky.
Update: The concerned person has messaged me last night over FB confirming that this story happened to him, with some slight deviations.
Update 2: Changed some parts of the story as we get additional details of what happened (had to ask for some more questions). Apologies for some of the errors — was writing this while on the road and only had 2 hours of sleep in the last 2 days.
Update 3: Check out how you can try and use Globe Tracker to find a person or handset via cell triangulation here 11.
YugaTech.com is the largest and longest-running technology site in the Philippines. Originally established in October 2002, the site was transformed into a full-fledged technology platform in 2005.
How to transfer, withdraw money from PayPal to GCash
Prices of Starlink satellite in the Philippines
Install Google GBox to Huawei smartphones
Pag-IBIG MP2 online application
How to check PhilHealth contributions online
How to find your SIM card serial number
Globe, PLDT, Converge, Sky: Unli fiber internet plans compared
10 biggest games in the Google Play Store
LTO periodic medical exam for 10-year licenses
Netflix codes to unlock hidden TV shows, movies
Apple, Asus, Cherry Mobile, Huawei, LG, Nokia, Oppo, Samsung, Sony, Vivo, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Infinix Mobile, Pocophone, Honor, iPhone, OnePlus, Tecno, Realme, HTC, Gionee, Kata, IQ00, Redmi, Razer, CloudFone, Motorola, Panasonic, TCL, Wiko
Best Android smartphones between PHP 20,000 - 25,000
Smartphones under PHP 10,000 in the Philippines
Smartphones under PHP 12K Philippines
Best smartphones for kids under PHP 7,000
Smartphones under PHP 15,000 in the Philippines
Best Android smartphones between PHP 15,000 - 20,000
Smartphones under PHP 20,000 in the Philippines
Most affordable 5G phones in the Philippines under PHP 20K
5G smartphones in the Philippines under PHP 16K
Smartphone pricelist Philippines 2024
Smartphone pricelist Philippines 2023
Smartphone pricelist Philippines 2022
Smartphone pricelist Philippines 2021
Smartphone pricelist Philippines 2020
michael says:
i agree, he was just lucky that day.
mahirap na kaya i already secured my devices using an anti-theft sofware called “PREY”. I ran several test with it and it works pretty well. I hope in case my devices got lost (please wag na wag naman sana), matulungan ako ng software na un.
Abraham Darius Llave says:
So, that telco business center doesn’t have CCTV?
booboo says:
same reaction. akala ko sasabihin na they checked the CCTV camera. :)
Edu says:
I am more interested on how you lost your Six smartphones. Sayang naman :-/
Emerson says:
That tells something about the owner, doesn’t it? Hehe Peace
tinikling says:
basta apple product lahat gustong isulat ni Art. Sino nga kaya ang totoong naka una ng pag-mamay-ari ng iphone 4s sa Pinas? Si Art na kahit sa tv ay binanderang siya ang naka una or si Pnoy?
John says:
Lucky for them as the victim is a telecom personnel. But for the rest of us that don’t work at telcos, we’re powerless..
buggie says:
I totally agree with you on this.
riclags says:
Yup. I hope that they would also extend the same help if the person who lost the phone doesn’t work for the telco.
Jay says:
I am with you guys. Ditto.
Yo says:
Kaya naman pala ma trace ng telco basta may imei. Ano kaya reason nila why they reject this type of phone rescue to regular customers.
Kung magiging commercial to, baka mabawasan na ang cellphone snatch parang dati, nung wala pang caller ID may prank callers kami sa landline kase we have a business and naka display ang landline, pero nung magka caller id na ang landline, nawala ang prank calls kase may identity na sila via phone number.
Kung may way ma locate yung phone, mag dadalawang isip ang magnanakaw at buyer sa mga tiangge ng cellphone.
Hmm says:
I agree with John. If it were an ordinary customer, the telco will never cooperate.
But I doubt if this story is true at all. For one, a customer service frontliner of a Telco does not earn enough to buy an iPhone4 even at an employee discount. 2nd as pointed out by another reader, it is very unlikely that they don’t have any CCTV camera.
Please avoid writing stories that are neither true nor confirmed as true as it is rather an irresponsible act on your part to share “chismis”.
frenchy says:
“a customer service frontliner of a Telco does not earn enough to buy an iPhone4 even at an employee discount..”, i totally disagree on this. i know several frontliner CSRs of a leading telco who always have the latest flagship phones na nire-release ng telco nila. i was with a couple of them yesterday at ang gamit nila ay iPhone 4S and Galaxy S2. karamihan na mga CSR na bata pa ay madiskarte at yung iba sa kanila ay nasa poder pa ng parents nila. so if they’re earning P15K-20K per month, do you think they won’t be able to afford a P2500 postpaid plan whihc has free iPhone 4S?
ZP6 says:
Di rin. Yung iba wala talagang CCTV. Dito sa Pavilion Mall, (Binan,Laguna) yung Globe Center dito walang ganun. At yung 2 agent nila naka-iphone 4. :)
Swerte naman nung agent. Pero sa atin na wala namang ganun kakayahan. Ibigay na lang sa mga skwammy. Kaya naman paltan eh. Lol
Eason says:
I believe that the story is true and yes for me as well that if this is to happen to a regular customer this would be ignored by the telco.
but saying ” For one, a customer service frontliner of a Telco does not earn enough to buy an iPhone4 even at an employee discount. ”
Its like you judge their lifestyle based on their Salary. Sheez, salary isn’t everything you know, for one fact even people who can afford the high end phones doesn’t have those, because they prioritize. Now questioning a person what phone they have is surely “Judging a book by its cover”.
Hope your phone is that LUXURIOUS to make statements like that.
Eason says:
I believe that the story is true and yes for me as well that if this is to happen to a regular customer this would be ignored by the telco.
but saying ” For one, a customer service frontliner of a Telco does not earn enough to buy an iPhone4 even at an employee discount. ”
Its like you judge their lifestyle based on their Salary. Sheez, salary isn’t everything you know, for one fact even people who can afford the high end phones doesn’t have those, because they prioritize. Now questioning a person what phone they have is surely “Judging a book by its cover”.
Well, Hope your phone is that LUXURIOUS to make statements like that.
vince says:
even Call Center Agents who earn less than 15K can get a postpaid iPhone 4S. Dami nga nila eh, pag gusto maraming paraan.
Kris says:
I am one of those frontliners and proud of it… and mind you…I have an Iphone 4s unlocked bought it from singapore when our team went there last week for our team building..so funny some people thought sila lang kayang makaafford…well…si manong guard namin Iphone 4 din gamit but have no plans updating for 4s…kasi he is thinking of getting Samsung Galaxy Note…
Apache says:
Ok i understand all of the but answer me one thing how the hell they ping the iPhone4 if you said they already Restored it to the factory Settings. And for the love of God please tell me they left the sim card in the phone so that i can call them the Most stupid cellphone thief. :D
I already experience loosing smartphones and cellphone but the problem with my i always realize it a few second when i always try to call my phone then number is not in service or out of range so in short that my sim card was already remove. so i can’t event call or text it.
Name: IC DeaDPiPoL says:
I believe they relied on the iPhone4’s IMEI for cell triangulation
pinoy persuasion says:
“After frantically looking for it, they decided to seek the help of the network engineers and was able to locate where the last signal the iPhone 4 was sending out from (this is where cell site triangulation is done).”
Were you even reading?
migs says:
from, the story, to get your lost phone back, you need:
1. a strong connection – with an engineer inside a telco
2 a dependable network – true friends who are willing to help
Name: IC DeaDPiPoL says:
seriously want to believe Prey is reliable, unfortunately it is easily bypassed by flashing the ROM with a fresh one.
Name: says:
I think the Telcos should start providing these kinds of services because only they have direct and fast access to the triangulation of mobile phones. Anybody else who wants their phones triangulated has to pass through a very long, legal, and tedious process. By then, chances of recovering the phones are slim. I would gladly pay premium for this kind of service so I can see that this will be quite feasible and profitable for the Telcos since probably a small amount would actually use it. Moreover, it may also create more jobs if the demand becomes bigger.
I only had one phone stolen in my lifetime back in the ’90s. I left my phone charging in our cottage in Fontana Clark when we had breakfast. The room had an electronic key so we’re sure the management knows who took it because there were no forced entries, but we really didn’t find out who took it because the people at Fontana didn’t want to tell us. They did replace my phone do after a year, but we all know how fast the turnover of new phones so by that time, there were a lot more new phones already out in the market.
Mr A says:
Having this service available compromises the secruity of every individual in the country. What if a government official hire a hitman to track down his adversary. Surely enough connections would pave way to get this done and with out any data trail.
Although, any high power offical would had done this anyway. If the government can request for disabling cell towers, I wouldn’t be suprised if they can do this already.