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Gardai doing door to door enquiries for "missing smartphone"

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  • 07-05-2013 8:58pm
    #1
    ongarboy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,201 ✭✭✭


    Had to say I was surprised to get a visit from a uniformed bicycle Guard last night asking about a missing smartphone. The guy who lost it was with him and the guard informed me the mobile network could trace it to our vicinity. While I sympathize with anyone losing a phone, does it seem odd that the Gardai would devote dedicated time to door to door enquiries for something as trivial as this?

    I'm glad if this is as serious as crime gets now in D15. Obviously, I didn't challenge him about this! Hope the guy found his phone though.


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    #2
    T-Maxx
    Registered Users Posts: 3,145 ✭✭✭T-Maxx


    I suspect the phone was involved in a more serious crime.


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    #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Phone was probably stolen during armed mugging.


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    #4
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,022 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Or the bloke who lost it is a mate of the guard.


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    #5
    Pat Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 3,004 ✭✭✭Pat Dunne


    I have to say fair play to the Garda for doing his job. If I had €500 (average smart phone replacement cost) stolen from my pocket I'd hope the Gardai would offer assistance.


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    #6
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    I expect the phone has tracking software on it, and they know roughly where it is, via the wifi or gps


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    #7
    BostonB
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    ongarboy wrote: »
    Had to say I was surprised to get a visit from a uniformed bicycle Guard last night asking about a missing smartphone. The guy who lost it was with him and the guard informed me the mobile network could trace it to our vicinity. While I sympathize with anyone losing a phone, does it seem odd that the Gardai would devote dedicated time to door to door enquiries for something as trivial as this?

    I'm glad if this is as serious as crime gets now in D15. Obviously, I didn't challenge him about this! Hope the guy found his phone though.

    It seems odd you think crime is trivial. Someone could have been assaulted to get the phone. Then its possible that someone with a stolen phone might have other items linking them with other crimes. Since its not usually an isolated crime.


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    #8
    athtrasna
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,420 ✭✭✭✭athtrasna


    Could also be something to do with the attacks on women in Ongar during the day as someone posted previously on here


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    #9
    _Whimsical_
    Registered Users Posts: 7,953 ✭✭✭_Whimsical_


    It's an expensive piece of kit I'm glad to hear people cant just steal them and head off with it into the sunset secure in the knowledge they'll never be caught.

    If you read the android or apple forums here you'll see it has happened on a few occasions now that the guards have followed up the theft of a phone through pickpocketing.

    There have been reports of organised criminal gangs stealing phones on the weekends nights in Dublin so I suppose when they follow up a theft like this it might lead to uncovering something greater than just one thief.

    The moral of this story really though is that everyone should have a track and trace security app on their smartphone.


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    #10
    hfallada
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,180 ✭✭✭hfallada


    Often the gardas know that individuals are involved in crime but have no envidence to charge them. Getting that phone could result in them getting someone sentenced


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    #11
    ongarboy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,201 ✭✭✭ongarboy


    BostonB wrote: »
    It seems odd you think crime is trivial. Someone could have been assaulted to get the phone. Then its possible that someone with a stolen phone might have other items linking them with other crimes. Since its not usually an isolated crime.


    I didn't say crime in general was trivial but fair enough, you and the other posters here have convinced me the effort was justified as I hadn't thought that there might have been a sinister element to why the phone went missing. The Guard hadn't elaborated either only to say it was missing which is why I interpreted it as a lost rather than stolen phone.


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    #12
    Murt10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,194 ✭✭✭Murt10


    Dial *#06# on your mobile and your IMEI number will show up. It's 15 digits long.

    Note this and text/email it to someone you know.

    If your phone is stolen then you retrieve this number and give it to your phone provider and they will block your phone permanently. The phone then cannot be used anywhere in the world.

    At least, if you can't use it, then neither can the end user, meaning that it will no longer be profitable for people to keep stealing phones.


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    #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Murt10 wrote: »
    Dial *#06# on your mobile and your IMEI number will show up. It's 15 digits long.

    Note this and text/email it to someone you know.

    If your phone is stolen then you retrieve this number and give it to your phone provider and they will block your phone permanently. The phone then cannot be used anywhere in the world.

    At least, if you can't use it, then neither can the end user, meaning that it will no longer be profitable for people to keep stealing phones.
    I don't think that is true. If your IMEI was blocked by an Irish network, I believe it only applies in Ireland (or maybe Europe).

    The phones will still work fine is USA/Asia etc, but I'm open to correction.


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    #14
    DanielGibbons
    Registered Users Posts: 214 ✭✭DanielGibbons


    So what would the best track & trace software be for an android phone? :)
    Would prefer free software, but tbh it's probably worth paying for :P


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    #15
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    DanielGibbons wrote: »
    So what would the best track & trace software be for an android phone? :)
    Would prefer free software, but tbh it's probably worth paying for :P
    If it's a Samsung, use Samsung Dive. It can enable GPS and lock phone. Can sound alert, wipe phone, ring it etc.


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    #16
    DanielGibbons
    Registered Users Posts: 214 ✭✭DanielGibbons


    Deleted User wrote: »
    If it's a Samsung, use Samsung Dive. It can enable GPS and lock phone. Can alert wipe phone, ring it etc.

    It's a HTC One X. Any good app anyone could recommend? :)


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    #17
    Zaph
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 47,305 ✭✭✭✭Zaph


    Where's My Droid and Android Lost are both free and highly rated on Google Play.


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    #18
    DanielGibbons
    Registered Users Posts: 214 ✭✭DanielGibbons


    Zaph wrote: »
    Where's My Droid and Android Lost are both free and highly rated on Google Play.

    Cheers, I'll get one of them so :)


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    #19
    dodzy
    Registered Users Posts: 10,003 ✭✭✭✭dodzy


    Murt10 wrote: »
    Dial *#06# on your mobile and your IMEI number will show up. It's 15 digits long.

    Note this and text/email it to someone you know.
    Why not just keep a note of it yourself ?
    Murt10 wrote: »
    If your phone is stolen then you retrieve this number and give it to your phone provider and they will block your phone permanently. The phone then cannot be used anywhere in the world.

    At least, if you can't use it, then neither can the end user, meaning that it will no longer be profitable for people to keep stealing phones.
    'fraid not. Once you get them outside the country, they are useable. Bearing in mind they will of course need to be unlocked to accept any sim. EBAY is a thriving outlet for this type of phone.


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