iPhone Query (Lost/Stolen with tracking)

medicnick83

medicnick83

Paramedic
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Hi all,

Just a question - I did try do a search and found nothing.

Okay, so I need to understand how this works.

I have a iPhone, it's got tracking on, it gets stolen (it hasn't, but let's pretend it has)
I track the phone to a location and maybe even find the person who has it.
What is the process of getting the phone back?

So, let's start at the beginning, I just realized the phone is gone.
Do I goto SAPS, log a case? what?
 
medicnick83 said:
Hi all,

Just a question - I did try do a search and found nothing.

Okay, so I need to understand how this works.

I have a iPhone, it's got tracking on, it gets stolen (it hasn't, but let's pretend it has)
I track the phone to a location and maybe even find the person who has it.
What is the process of getting the phone back?

So, let's start at the beginning, I just realized the phone is gone.
Do I goto SAPS, log a case? what?
Click to expand...

My thoughts:

First of all you need backup (burly and with guns). Then you go find the phone. Then the "new owner" must prove he can log into the Apple ID account, since he can't, and you can log into the Apple ID, the phone is obviously yours and you go home with it.
 
You can go to SAPS but unless you're really lucky, they won't accompany you to get the phone back from a thief.

How much risk do you want to take? If the phone is in a decent area you can drive by and knock on the door to explain that your phone may have “accidentally” landed up at that address. If you have an Apple Watch, you can make the phone beep and hope that convinces the thief to return it.

Dodgy area, you have to decide if you want to risk being stabbed in the face.
 
I ask because we had tourists staying upstairs - apparently the phone was stolen - now because they are very pretty ladies, apparently SAPS went with them to EXACTLY where the phone was, the lady pointed out the phone and SAPS was there and did NOTHING to get the phone from the guys who had the phone.

I don't know more details other than what I just typed - having said that.

I want to make sure I am prepared for this situation - SHOULD it ever happen.
 
epah said:
Well first thing is to get insurance. if the phone gets stolen then you get a newer and ever better one.

Why even bother try getting it back and risk being stabbed?
Click to expand...

How easy is it for the iPhone to be 'unblocked' these days?
 
PhireSide said:
Very difficult, or so I hear.
Click to expand...

I see lots of posts on Facebook Marketplace offering services - but how successful is it, I'm sure maybe on older phones might be easier but on 12+ models !??

I'm trying to educate myself on this now - only because I finally HAVE an iPhone and just want to know more.
 
epah said:
Well if they send you the phishing sms then it would make it easy for them.

just get insurance and be stress free.
Click to expand...

This is in the process of happening now but still, the more I know about stuff - because if my phone was stolen, I'd like to try and get it back using my options available but like I said, just want to know stuff now.
 
I'd think step one would be to log onto iCloud to see if your phone is nearby... If it isn't, and it's still on, start tracking.

Had a house robbery years ago. The phone was in Diepsloot. Drove there, stopped in at the police station and showed them where the phone was. They drove with me to the location, and I sent a message to the phone to play a sound.

Soon as the phone beeped, the SAPS swooped in, but whoever had stolen the phone had ditched it already and was long gone.

No case reported, but the phone was recovered.
 
greg0205 said:
I'd think step one would be to log onto iCloud to see if your phone is nearby... If it isn't, and it's still on, start tracking.

Had a house robbery years ago. The phone was in Diepsloot. Drove there, stopped in at the police station and showed them where the phone was. They drove with me to the location, and I sent a message to the phone to play a sound.

Soon as the phone beeped, the SAPS swooped in, but whoever had stollen the phone had ditched it already and was long gone.

No case reported, but the phone was recovered.
Click to expand...

This is the type of thing I'd like to do... but only if possible obviously.
 
greg0205 said:
I'd think step one would be to log onto iCloud to see if your phone is nearby... If it isn't, and it's still on, start tracking.

Had a house robbery years ago. The phone was in Diepsloot. Drove there, stopped in at the police station and showed them where the phone was. They drove with me to the location, and I sent a message to the phone to play a sound.

Soon as the phone beeped, the SAPS swooped in, but whoever had stolen the phone had ditched it already and was long gone.

No case reported, but the phone was recovered.
Click to expand...

The same was done with a iPad that was pinging in a veld in 2014. Difference is we caught the guy red handed trying to silence the thing. He got a multiyear sentence.

I think the smart thieves now know to remove the SIM asap.

Do new iPhones have eSIM option? Can iPhones be turned off from the lock screen (I know some security software can prevent that)? If phone can't be turned off from lock screen and is using an eSIM for data, then it will be very traceable.
 
greg0205 said:
I'd think step one would be to log onto iCloud to see if your phone is nearby... If it isn't, and it's still on, start tracking.

Had a house robbery years ago. The phone was in Diepsloot. Drove there, stopped in at the police station and showed them where the phone was. They drove with me to the location, and I sent a message to the phone to play a sound.

Soon as the phone beeped, the SAPS swooped in, but whoever had stolen the phone had ditched it already and was long gone.

No case reported, but the phone was recovered.
Click to expand...
off topic but are you related to Example2505?
 
supersunbird said:
The same was done with a iPad that was pinging in a veld in 2014. Difference is we caught the guy red handed trying to silence the thing. He got a multiyear sentence.

I think the smart thieves now know to remove the SIM asap.

Do new iPhones have eSIM option? Can iPhones be turned off from the lock screen (I know some security software can prevent that)? If phone can't be turned off from lock screen and is using an eSIM for data, then it will be very traceable.
Click to expand...

I want to get an eSIM for the phone but (as per my other thread) am looking at what options are available.
 
supersunbird said:
The same was done with a iPad that was pinging in a veld in 2014. Difference is we caught the guy red handed trying to silence the thing. He got a multiyear sentence.

I think the smart thieves now know to remove the SIM asap.

Do new iPhones have eSIM option? Can iPhones be turned off from the lock screen (I know some security software can prevent that)? If phone can't be turned off from lock screen and is using an eSIM for data, then it will be very traceable.
Click to expand...
Yeah they are very smart these days. MY phone was stolen and they switched it off immediately, so till this day its last location is the place they stole it from.
 
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