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Stop thief!

Is that stolen cellphone really gone? It depends, says Paul Furber.

Paul Furber
By Paul Furber, ITWeb contributor
Johannesburg, 29 Jul 2010

Cellphones are popular items for thieves: they're high-value, easy to pinch, easy to pass on and physically small. And today's handsets are like mini-computers: touchscreen, GPS, Internet access, camera, advanced operating systems. Until they get stolen, that is. Then that very advanced cellphone is just a bulge in a rapidly retreating thief's jacket. Is there anything you can do? The cellular providers don't really want handsets blacklisted (they had to be practically forced into doing it a few years ago) and the police don't have time to chase every stolen phone. And even if a handset is blacklisted, it will work just fine elsewhere in Africa.

Stolen cellphone basics

1. Keep the box your cellphone came in. Always. It's a good place for the manual and PUK number.
2. To get the IMEI number (the unique serial number that identifies your handset), press *#06# on the keypad. Save this number somewhere safe.
3. Don't forget to suspend your account if your cellphone is stolen.
Cell C: Dial 140 from Cell C numbers or 084-140 from other cellphone networks.
MTN: 173 (pre-paid) or 808 (contract) from MTN numbers or 083-1-173 from a landline or other cellphone networks.
Vodacom: 111 from a Vodacom number or 082-111 from a landline.
Keep the reference number you get and give it to the police. They won't get it back for you or help you other than register a case but at least the national coordinator will be able to add yours to the national statistics. Or you could just not bother blacklisting the handset. As soon as it goes out of the country, it can make calls as good as new again.

The person who most cares about a stolen cellphone is you. The bad news is: you have to take action before it gets taken, not after.

Protecting your phone

The fact that a smartphone has GPS, Internet access, a camera, and an advanced operating system is useful if a phone is stolen. If only there was some way of tracking your handset. Well, there are quite a few ways and they can be divided up by manufacturer.

Nokia and Symbian

Nokia users have a few choices, one of which is Guardian Mobile. This is a system level application that can be installed on just about every Nokia from the 3250 upwards. There's a free edition so you can try it right away. If the phone is stolen, track it on Google Maps and remotely disable it if you like. Check it out at http://www.guardian-mobile.com/.

Apple

iPhone users have a number of options, including MobileMe and some apps in the iStore for tracking a handset's location. MobileMe has an option called Find My iPhone. You can also try the apps iLocalis or iHound. Mobile Spy is another option: it runs in the background and sends the phone's GPS coordinates to a central server. See it at http://www.mobile-spy.com.

BlackBerry

BlackBerry users also have a few choices. BerryLocator, downloadable from http://www.mobireport.com/apps/bl/, is one of the smartest. Send the BlackBerry an SMS and it will show you where it's located. You can also make it scream and shout remotely - useful if you suspect the thief is still nearby, perhaps at the next table in the restaurant. Or send it a 'nuke' SMS and the phone will get wiped.

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