Reporting a Stolen Cellphone [Vodacom]

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feo

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Hey guys

Mt phone just got stolen today on campus and I phoned Voda to get it immediately locked (actually my mum did it for me earlier since I have no phone to do it myself).

She dialled 111 and was told that an SMS with a reference number would be sent to her phone but nothing yet. I phoned 111 again and went through the menus to get to the "report stolen phone" part, I put in my number but before I could get through to a real live human being I was cut off.

Can someone please help because I really need that reference number for the case file at the police station and also for the insurance people.
 
Okay man ;) I hope he could, but you'd most likely get a response tomorrow.

I'm off to bed,

Ciao dude, best of luck ;)
 
Not much point reporting it other than for insurance purposes. Vodacom locks it and the thieves just unlock it and sell it, or sell it before its locked... Good luck
 
is locking and blacklisting the same thing or not? reason i ask is a while back my phone got stolen and i reported it to vc. Thing was the guy asked me for the case number before he could blacklist it.

Learnt now to rather buy a cheap ass phone which is dispensable.
 
No its as easy as plugging it into a PC and clicking unlock with the correct software. Yeah, I also cruise around with a R 600 phone these days. As long as it can make and receive calls and text, Im happy. And I don't cry when I lose it.:D
 
Velenoso said:
No its as easy as plugging it into a PC and clicking unlock with the correct software. Yeah, I also cruise around with a R 600 phone these days. As long as it can make and receive calls and text, Im happy. And I don't cry when I lose it.:D
Click to expand...

That sounds more like network unlocking software. You would need to reset the IMEI and and and numbers to be able to use the phone again as Vodacom blacklists this number(s). Not entirely Impossible either. Another recommendation would be to call them every few months to check if it still blacklisted (they sometime ‘disappear’ I hear).
 
Well it was a 6230i so they could probably get over a grand for it and I don't want to give them the satisfaction of that.

Any idea who to call to get the reference number that confirms the phone is blocked?
 
This is what you should do when your phone is stolen

1) Call vodacom and get them to block the sim card - no reference numbers etc are sent at all, the card just gets blocked and nobody can use it to make calls even if they know the pin.
2) Go to your nearest vodashop, and take your phone IMEI number to get your phone black listed. They will then produce a letter with a reference number which you take to the police station when reporting the theft. (the police will not open a case without this letter and reference number)
3)Ask the people at vodahop to do a sim swap, whereby they give you a new sim card (you keep your number) which they activate and your old sim card becomes null and void. This usually takes about 2 hours to activate and the new sim card cost about R100.
4) Go report the theft at the police station (in the district where the phone was stolen) with letter from vodacom in hand.
 
Lets just get some terminology correct:

Locking = "Network locking" i.e. you can only put a SIM from one provider into your handset. Most handsets have to be supplied "unlocked" to comply with ICASA rules. In the UK all pre-pay handsets are locked and most contract handsets with the exception of O2 UK contract handsets.

Unlocking = Quite legal removes the network restriction and enables you to use the SIM from any other provider. May void warranty if unlocked during guarantee period.

Blocking = See Blacklisting

Blacklisting = A network feature that prevents a banned (blacklisted or blocked) IMEI number from logging onto the network or prevents the handset making voice calls on a network. A Central Equipment Registry now exists in South Africa that ensures any handset blacklisted on one network is automatically blacklisted on all ofter SA networks.

It is now a requirement that the IMEI of any modern handset be "tamper proof" and just plugging it into a PC with a bit of software (as mentioned earlier) just will not work on most handsets post 2005! In fact the Nokia 6230i would require at least a chip replacement and some very elaborate hardware to alter the IMEI. I don't think that the average phone thief or his "retail outlet" would have such facilities or indeed the skills!

The sad thing is although you can have the handset blacklisted in South Africa, once it's over the boarder it'll be as good as new again!

You can check the blacklist status of an IMEI by calling 082 124 (or 124 on a Vodacom handset) calls are not free! This will of course only tell you the status at that time... it could still end up blacklisted a few days, weeks or months later!
 
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The problem is, it's such a pain in the ass to get the phone black listed, that most people don't even bother. Even if you do, by the time it gets done the thief has sold the phone. Also, there are syndicates that steal a whole lot of phones and send them overseas. As Jim said, there they're good as new.
 
Can Vodacom trace a phone if I give them the IMEI number... I can see on my Google Dashboard that someone has changed the network on my phone to Cell C
 
This what I'm trying to find out. Short answer is yes they can. I'm not sure why they don't or why this is not mentioned anywhere in any searches I've done. Not sure how legal it is to obtain the information. We have this RICA thing, we have IEMI's these two are completely traceable and registered. So unless they manage to change the iemi I'm certain they would be at worst be able to triangulate the signal which is the more expensive route, but of not any one of the 4 operators will be able to trace the user and if his/her sim card is legit arrest them. But this does not appear anywhere...
 
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