REWARD/Advice on Mobile Phone lost in Auckland Domain or near Quay/City, 27.12.10

Forums › Off topic › REWARD/Advice on Mobile Phone lost in Auckland Domain or near Quay/City, 27.12.10

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#431260 26-Jan-2011 07:51

I thought most of the telco staff working with police staff were actually doing interception work... By that understand criminals under surveillance, not searching for lost and found.

SaltyNZ

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#431267 26-Jan-2011 08:11

freitasm: I thought most of the telco staff working with police staff were actually doing interception work... By that understand criminals under surveillance, not searching for lost and found.

That's true, but if the police did want to search for a phone, they would deal with the same people.

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UPSETAUSSIE

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#431442 26-Jan-2011 15:48

Hi guys thanks for your considered and well thought our replies. But I feel as though you all want to help, but you feel like you have your hand tied behind your backs. Meanwhile I feel as though I have my tail between my legs!

I mean we have johnr who doesn't want to jeopardise his job, so who won't help, even though the likelihood that if it was being used it, I feel it would most likely be on the Vodafone network, since a geek who specialises in foreign phones said Vodafone doesn't need unlocking to take up a new SIM card.

On the other hand I am being asked to cajole NZ police into obtaining a warrant, and how would I do that? To get a warrant, you need some preliminary evidence, right? Are they really going to do that for someone who doesn't pay NZ taxes? (Though I have contributred to the NZ economy with many thousands of dollars by being here with my husband since 26 December).

So what do I do guys?

freitasm

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#431448 26-Jan-2011 15:52

Telstra handsets shouldn't need unlocking if they are on account. They can be used on any New Zealand network actually, including Telecom New Zealand.

I think you are in the twilight zone...

UPSETAUSSIE

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#431453 26-Jan-2011 16:00

Hi, just a few more things..I have listed the phone on tradme.co.nz, though probably too late and given too much info to implicate anybody who tries to sell it.

Secondly, how would I convince NZ police, being an Aussie, to issue a warrant over this without preliminary evidence, or as you say, the requirements for issuing a warrant?

Thirdly, it is precisely because this is NOT done and people get away with it that it is repeated. Perhaps if this was publicised, thieves could be made aware of it and think twice about it. I would love a message to be sent to schoolkids in particular about this.

SaltyNZ, I understand what you are saying, that it would set a precedent for others, but perhaps others don't care enough to have this done or go to this trouble, or wouldn't even know about it. I do.

Also, theft is factored into many things, including the cost of grocery items we get in the store and pay for everyday!

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#431454 26-Jan-2011 16:01

UPSETAUSSIE:

So what do I do guys?

I think you just shrug and move on, I'm afraid. :-(

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#431457 26-Jan-2011 16:04

johnr: A IMEI trace does not need to be left running 24/7

I will run this pass the powers that be and confirm if I can action the trace. I have access to action this but its not part of my core roll in Vodafone NZ this is looked after by the agency team

John

(PS trying to reply to your PM and I get permission denied)

Hi John, not sure why this is the case - I have PM's enabled, as I just checked my profile. I haven't looked at other PM's. I will have another look. Thank you very much, Gaby

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minimoke

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#431461 26-Jan-2011 16:05

UPSETAUSSIE:

So what do I do guys?

Move on?

You were responsible for your phone and its you who lost it.
Who didn't back up the important photos.
Whats the depreciated value of the phone.

At one end of the continuum you have a lost phone. On the other we have a boy with a mother who was burnt to death. I know which end of the continuum I'd sooner see all our combined taxes spent on police effort.

NonprayingMantis

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#431502 26-Jan-2011 17:18

It's sad that you lost the photos/video of your mother, but even if by some miracle somehow manage to get yor phone back, there is not a chance in hell that those photos will still be on there. It will have been formatted long ago for whoever is using it right now.

To be totally honest there seems like no point in trying to chase this down. the cost of trying to find your phone (cost to both you and any telco or police who tries to help you) will massively outweigh the value of the phone that you only have a slim chance of recovering anyway.
It just seems bizarre that you would go all this effort, even considering hiring a private investigator etc, for the sake of a few hundred dollars worth of phone. The PI would probably costs you more than the phone is worth anyway.

I think you will just have to learn a lesson that backing up data is a good idea.

johnr

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#431518 26-Jan-2011 18:02

As I understand the phone was lost not stolen so no crime has been comitted

NonprayingMantis

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#431526 26-Jan-2011 18:30

johnr: As I understand the phone was lost not stolen so no crime has been comitted

true, but either way she isn't going to be getting her piccies back. If a good samariton had found it she would have gotten it back by now.

trig42

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#431557 26-Jan-2011 19:57

johnr: As I understand the phone was lost not stolen so no crime has been comitted

And therein lies the problem. It would be at the very bottom of the Police's to-do list I'm afraid.

This illustrates the biggest problem with digital photos - very rarely backed up and can never be re-taken.

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#431601 26-Jan-2011 22:33

Thanks for the replies, guys. It's not a matter of cost, yes being bizarre, it's the principle that is at stake here, not the cost of the phone, which must be nothing and I am not going to give up - it has happened one time to many and I have suffered too much already.

And yes, I do accept responsibility for losing and not backing up stuff and why I considered hiring a PI and that is not to waste police resources, but I don't know what I was paying for and ther PI, acting on my interests declined to take the case (taking into account my likelihood of success).

minimoke, I did read about the mother being burnt in Auckland and I can assure you I am not indifferent to the plight of this poor boy and to mercry killings in general.

If you people now decline to help me, that's fine, I appreciate that you all have tried and gone to the effort of responding.

UPSETAUSSIE

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#431701 27-Jan-2011 09:27

Hi everybody, I know none of you can understand how much I have been upset over this the last month, and that is understandable, and it is also understandable why I would want to go to this trouble and expense. But I thought I should just post some advice I got here from a NZ criminal lawyer, because some of you work for the telcos. It relates to the concept of "theft by finding". This person said:-

"I not know why a warrant is needed. If someone has converted your phone then the police should just contact the telco and get the evidence they need. The telcos are avoiding the issue because they do not understand theft by finding, and you could say to them that by doing nothing they are aiding and abetting the thief".

I guess what YOU guys are saying is that you have no evidence that by tracking the phone it can tell that someone has converted my phone, right?

johnr

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#431710 27-Jan-2011 09:42

Mobile service providers are not here to play police officer.

Its not a good thing you lost your phone but to be honest your best idea would be to purchase a new phone and move on.

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