The Missing FruitFone

[Geek King]

One fun thing I found out: iThieves often know to get into a found iPhone and delete the Find My iPhone app. The company I worked for started using a paid app that allowed us to hide the icon so you'd never know it had a locator app unless you dug through the app list in Settings.

[Lovecats]

This was some time ago. I had a flip phone and went shopping at the store where I worked on my day off. Was walking around the store and realized that I didn't have my phone. Went to one of the supervisors and they had the operator call as we walked around the store. Still couldn't find it. Went out to my car and there was a guy standing by the car next to mine. He held up my phone and said, "Is this your phone?". It had fallen out of my pocket when I got out of my car (don't remember why it wasn't in a case). I was never so grateful for an honest man in my life. Went back into the store to let them know and thank them for their help. The thing was it was raining and the phone was wet but it worked just fine.

[morgana]

Unfortunately, yes; I once used Android Device Manager to track my lost phone to the last restaurant I ate at...called it and it was in the bartender's pocket. My (very distinctive) ringtone gave it away dead to rights but she still tried to say it was her phone ringing.

Oh, yeah. IHOP, it was. Went back to look for it, wasn't where we'd been sitting. Nobody's turned it in? So the bestie starts calling it . . . Kept calling it . . . Manager went back into the kitchen. Came out with the phone. Still ringing . . .

Don't know what happened after we left. Don't want to know. Haven't been back.

[mathnerd]

People do this at our store for phones and wallets, but as a scam. If we actually have a phone or wallet in the safe we make them describe it, or give the name on the cards in the wallet. I was surprised at how often the caller suddenly says "oh, I'm calling for my friend!" I guess I had a tiny bit of faith in humanity left?

I had a bit of the opposite experience not too long ago. I was calling around, retracing our steps when my middle son lost his wallet. I described it and told them the name on the ID card inside, and said "It'll be obvious; the picture is of a kid with a bright orange-afro mohawk, and a septum ring. There will be no question if it's him or not!

They all seemed to be surprised that I gave identifying details.

[notalwaysright]

We used to get customers all the time who would come in, saying they'd lost their hpone, and had anyone found it?

People do this at our store for phones and wallets, but as a scam. If we actually have a phone or wallet in the safe we make them describe it, or give the name on the cards in the wallet. I was surprised at how often the caller suddenly says "oh, I'm calling for my friend!" I guess I had a tiny bit of faith in humanity left?

[Catwoman2965]

I also think she was trying to scam the store. I don't know, maybe its me, but if I had a very fancy, pricy phone, I'd be darn sure I knew where it was all the time. We used to get customers all the time who would come in, saying they'd lost their hpone, and had anyone found it? The thing was, they were never quite sure exactly WHERE it went missing. Ok, i get retracing your steps. I would even offer to call it, to see if it rang, in the store.

But that was it, esp since you aren't sure where you lost/left it, i really can't do much more. Some of my more "helpful" managers and CWs however, would then try and come up with all sorts of other things they could do. None of which helped or made any sense. Again, if the customer isn't even sure where they left/lost it, then my job is done.

[Enjis]

Why not call the police, unless you have something to hide?

I smell a possible scam.

First, assuming the phone exists and is in the store - the longer she waits and wastes time the greater the chance someone could pick it up and walk away with it. Plus over time the batteries will drain and the location software will stop working.

Second, while calling the police for a $15 TracPhone would be overkill, this is a $500-800 Iphone. Why not do what is needed to get the phone found as soon as possible.

Third, if she left the phone in the store - the store is libel for NOTHING!

Fourth, I notice there is no mention of her retracing her steps in the store to see if she can find where she put the phone down, and often even if the phone is set to vibrate you can still hear the phone if you are near it and it is on a hard surface. The fact she does not call her own phone is suspect to me.

I would see if she tries to to claim the store owns her for her phone, I would not be surprised.

Many years ago, a customer left his phone in the kids' department of our very large store. He called us first, and we looked for it. No luck. Finally, he came in, and we tried calling his phone from our store phones. We went all over the big department, trying to hear the ringing. Finally, we found it buried behind some blue jeans on a table. The man was overjoyed to get his phone back! He thanked us all for our help...no accusations or suspicions! See what a little due diligence can do?
Why the heck didn't they just start calling the phone and looking/listening for it??

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I'm curious - how does it work if you don't have the phone on you?

You simply log in to the device manager website from a phone/tablet/laptop you have, sign in with your Google account (the main one you use on your phone) and you can instantly locate, lock or erase a missing device. It also includes a ring function which will cause the phone to ring at full volume for 5 minutes.

The ring method is the best way to find your phone because the GPS lock is only accurate to within about 200 feet or so. I could tell which quadrant of the store my phone was in on the GPS, but only by making it ring could I pinpoint its exact location.

[Orgaloth]

Find my phone also has an option to show last location in case the battery goes dead or its turned off. So the store may have been the last location when it was turned off and taken.

[siskaren]

I have twice used Device Manager to find my phone in a Wal-Mart. Thankfully, no one had taken it either time, it was still sitting where I left it (in one case on a shelf, in the other on a shopping cart).

I'm curious - how does it work if you don't have the phone on you?

[mathnerd]

I thinks somebody already mentioned that the find my iPhone app lets you force the device to make a sound, even if the device is set to silent, that won't stop into you either turn it off or the battery dies.

I smell a scam. Too much just doesn't add up.

[Sammy7s7]

This reminds me of something that happened about 12 years ago, before smart phones. A lady walks into the service desk and asks if there was a lost phone. I said no one reported anything but I'll check. I opened the lost and found drawer and there were tons of phones. I asked her what it looked like and she said just let me see. I closed the drawer thinking you are not going to shop for a new phone in the lost and found. I asked her to call her phone and she said "I didn't think of that." She walked away trying to be chatty and nonchalant but I knew caught her.

[MoonCat]

If I had been this woman - barring the fact that when I shop, I shop, not fool around with my phone - the FIRST thing I'd do is ask customer service if one was turned in, and the SECOND thing I'd do is start retracing my steps while dialing (using a borrowed phone) to see if my lost phone would respond. I would certainly not waste all that time harassing people, and I would not send someone else in to do it either. SCAM.

[eltf177]

Unfortunately, yes; I once used Android Device Manager to track my lost phone to the last restaurant I ate at...called it and it was in the bartender's pocket. My (very distinctive) ringtone gave it away dead to rights but she still tried to say it was her phone ringing.

I hope management took swift action at that point...

[Argus]

I'm wondering if the Find function is precise enough to pinpoint where in a building, or just that it's in the general area.

It is capable of causing the phone to emit a distinctive sound, even if it is on mute.