Found iPhone 4...Can I use it for myself or sell it?

[JM19]

So as the title says, I found an iPhone 4 and would like to know if I could use it for myself (activating it), or can I sell it?

The phone is locked and I can't get access to the address book/contacts to try to get ahold of the owner somehow. I'll be honest, I would hate it if I lost my phone and someone found it and didn't try to return it, or let alone use it or sell it. But like I said, since I can't get access to the phone because it is locked, then hey, what else can I do.

I wanna know if I could just take it to an ATT or Apple store and activate it with a new plan. And also if they're going to ask me questions as to how/where I got the phone. And if they will somehow be able to tell that the phone was lost.

And for those that may post any comments in regards to me being messed up for trying to use/sell someones else's phone, I would just like to say that I'm not messed up. I honestly found the phone, and don't have a way of getting ahold of the owner. Hopefully the person had insurance on it.

 

[Supra1jz]

well i dont thing you can use it with AT&T cause one he call it in saying he lose it it is not good to u cause the S/N so for you to use it you will have to use it with another carrier i maybe wrong but thats what other carriers does once a phone is reported lost.

 

[Fausty82]

Why not take it to AT&T and let them find the owner? "Finding" anything, especially a high priced tech device and not earnestly trying to find the owner is just not cool... and remember what the Beatles said...

Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you right in the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon your gonna be dead

What in the world you thinking of?
Laughing in the face of love
What on Earth you try'na do?
It's up to you
Yeah, you

 

[jsntrenkler]

If you plug it into iTunes you can restore as new ... At which point you can have AT&T add the device to your account. AT&T no longer blocks IMEI for lost and stolen phones. However, I agree with HankAZ ... I would take it to AT&T and see if they can locate the rightful owner.

 

[lordzod01]

Not to sure a about where you are and your laws. what you are describing is "theft by finding". When handed into the police and no-one claims after 30 days then you have an entitlement to whatever you "find". Other than that it is stealing I'm afraid. Check laws for your area or better still just hand in the phone to the police anyhow. Pretty sure it will be being missed.

 

[ChrisGonzales90]

Not to sure a about where you are and your laws. what you are describing is "theft by finding". When handed into the police and no-one claims after 30 days then you have an entitlement to whatever you "find". Other than that it is stealing I'm afraid. Check laws for your area or better still just hand in the phone to the police anyhow. Pretty sure it will be being missed.

LOL

The police have more important issues to worry about then finding a careless iPhone owner.

Just take it to ATT. They can track the owner by the serial. I think they may be able to swap sims and get the information off that. (Place the iPhone sim in another phone)

Honestly is the best practice. Karma will get back to you and trust me, Karma is a *****

 

[grajasekar]

Take it to AT&T man, seriously.. atleast they'll do the needful. If not go to the police and give it to them. though like Chris says they might have bigger fish to fry.

 

[JM19]

I will be taking the iPhone to the ATT/Apple store to see what else they can do on their end to locate the owner. As far as "theft by finding" as mentioned here, I don't think so. We all loose something important at one point or another, and we hope that who ever finds it, returns it. But thats not always the case. Its like walking the down the street and finding cash on the floor. Unless you see the money fall out of a armored truck, where you obviously know where it came from, most people would just pocket it. Anyways, I will see if the ATT/Apple store can locate the owner, if not, I'm either gonna try to activate it (if possible), or sell it.

 

[JM19]

Oh yeah, As far as taking it to the police, let me just say, hell noooo. LOL. If I were to take this iPhone to the police, I can almost guarantee that it will be sold within the hour. The police around my area are not the most trustworthy. Either that, or they will seriously laugh in my face and could straight up tell me, "we don't have time for that". They really have more serious and bigger things to do.

 

[lordzod01]

@chrisgonzales90

Never mind karma, it's the law. It doesn't matter if the police are interested, they still have to file a report and look. At least that's how it works over here. Either take it to the phone shop or take it to the police. Don't keep it for yourself.

 

[JM19]

As I said, not taking it to the police. Would be a waste of time where I live. Don't know where you're from, but glad you have such friendly police officers that they would file a report and so on. I will just be taking it tot eh ATT/Apple store to see what they can do. Like I said, if they can't find the owner though, hey, I tried.

 

[ChrisGonzales90]

Oh yeah, As far as taking it to the police, let me just say, hell noooo. LOL. If I were to take this iPhone to the police, I can almost guarantee that it will be sold within the hour. The police around my area are not the most trustworthy. Either that, or they will seriously laugh in my face and could straight up tell me, "we don't have time for that". They really have more serious and bigger things to do.

There are good cops, and there are bad ones. I know if they had to choose between an lost iPhone and a rapist on the loose. I'd rather have them get the rapist.

Though I don't think I'd trust the Portland PD. After all the guy in charge is also a mayor who wastes money, is involved in a sex scandal and pretty much everyone hates him.

@chrisgonzales90

Never mind karma, it's the law. It doesn't matter if the police are interested, they still have to file a report and look. At least that's how it works over here. Either take it to the phone shop or take it to the police. Don't keep it for yourself.

You from the US? I agree that taking it to the poilice will be the best thing, but come on, as I said they have more important issues to worry about. Some might involve with the saving of your own life) At least if you take it to ATT they can track the owner down. Now if it were a lost car or some $25,000 peace of jewelry then yeah, I would take it to the police, no questions asked.

 

[w00dy]

My daughter lost her iPod touch that happen to have my name engraved on the back ( didn't want to put her name on there incase it was ever lost)

Lon story short.. Dude found it and actually looked me up. I was outside cutting my grass and kept seeing a car drive by.

Dude got out of car and asked me my name and then told me he found an iPod and could I describe it. It had a purple/ pink case.

I ended up buying her a new ipod4 since it was gone over a month. I told dude he could have it. You woulda thought I just gave him a $1000.!!! Shook my hand, thanked me and said his son will love it!

Feelsgoodman.jpeg

 

[anon(4698833)]

There was a LONG and drawn out discussion about a lost iPhone which was found and what the guy who found it did to return it to the rightful owner (which never happened and the original poster actually kept the phone i guess). I'm not going to get into the legalities of finding stuff, but just to let you know, finding a phone on the ground and keeping it is NOT against the law to keep things you find in this case, because it falls under "Abandoned property". You could not be charged with anything but, as with anything else in the legal sense, sometimes just because something isnt specifically against the law, it doesnt eliminate the headache that could come from simply keeping it without trying to find the owner.

Go find that thread where we discussed all this at length, there were alot of good moves the person who found that phone did, and alot of good advice that would keep you stress free if you do decide to keep the phone. None of us are lawyers on here, but you do have atleast one LEO on here and i can tell you, lost items like cell phones and stuff, while a report would eventually be processed on it, in any medium sized city or larger (and metro areas of such), things like this simply get lost in oblivion. They have storage warehouses where things sit for DECADES (im not kidding either, our precinct along has a warehouse with stuff from the 1980's in it, some that were never properly processed!)

Anyways...i'd deff make an attempt to find the owner in some way, even if it was simply trying to get the phone unlocked so you can get information off of it to contact them that way.

 

[ghostface147]

I'd keep it. Too bad for the one who lost it. Be more careful.

 

[anon(4698833)]

And just for reference sake, ask any restaurant, club or lounge what they do with cell phones when people leave them or lose them on property...lol. Having done moon lighting at a night club in Atlanta for many years, i can tell you that most phones that are lost in that nature are collected and reactivated under someone else before they hit the floor...lol.

 

[ChrisGonzales90]

I'd keep it. Too bad for the one who lost it. Be more careful.

OK, lets see what you'll say when you loose your phone.

 

[TampaDude]

Its like walking the down the street and finding cash on the floor. Unless you see the money fall out of a armored truck, where you obviously know where it came from, most people would just pocket it. Anyways, I will see if the ATT/Apple store can locate the owner, if not, I'm either gonna try to activate it (if possible), or sell it.

Actually, it's NOT like finding cash. Cash is not really traceable to a particular person, but an iPhone is. If it were me, I'd go to an AT&T or Apple store and have them try to find the owner.

 

[TampaDude]

OK, lets see what you'll say when you loose your phone.

Well, if I LOSE my phone, then I'd hope someone would return it, but if not, oh, well...it would be my own damn fault for LOSING the phone.

That's why I treat my iPhone like it was a stack of $100 bills. NOBODY else gets to touch it, ever.

 

[ghostface147]

OK, lets see what you'll say when you loose your phone.

I can remote wipe it, so I don't care. I can also afford a new one without even breaking a sweat, so again, I don't care.