Lost Android safe - thanks to screen lock

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#478494 7-Jun-2011 12:24

5011: Instructions for a factory reset are readily available on the internet for all phones, it's not hard. There's also a method of performing a factory reset on all Android phones via the dialer - and it doesn't ask for a prompt!!

Yep. Found the simple instructions for factory reset for the LG on the net. Looks like you just use a combination of home, volume and power buttons. Just as well my phone 'finder' was not tech savvy enough to do this! So, my phone may be 're-used' if lost, but, at least, my personal data is safe.

dafman

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#478496 7-Jun-2011 12:29

stevenz: There's an app called "Contact Owner" that puts your contact details on the lockscreen.

Thanks for this. There are varying reviews on the app, though, with some posters saying it rendered their phone useless. Have you used?

You would be silly to put your gmail account as a contact point, though, as this is how you get back into your phone after 20 failed patterns. Disclsoing your gmail runs the risk that someone resets your gmail password to get into the phone?

In the meantime, I have now put my first name and home phone number on a sticky label on the inside of my battery cover.

BlakJak

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#478499 7-Jun-2011 12:33

dafman:
stevenz: There's an app called "Contact Owner" that puts your contact details on the lockscreen.

Thanks for this. There are varying reviews on the app, though, with some posters saying it rendered their phone useless. Have you used?

You would be silly to put your gmail account as a contact point, though, as this is how you get back into your phone after 20 failed patterns. Disclsoing your gmail runs the risk that someone resets your gmail password to get into the phone?

In the meantime, I have now put my first name and home phone number on a sticky label on the inside of my battery cover.

Just installed it on my LG P500 based on the comment in this thread, appears to work OK but the lockscreen (using the shape-locker-thing) gets a bit funky looking initially. Works alright tho.

Just looking into Preyproject...

No signature to see here, move along...

Kiwi1971

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#478502 7-Jun-2011 12:39

heavenlywild: Goodness me, what's wrong with this world where people need to be rewarded for being decent people?

Good on you for sticking to your guns.

I somehow don't think the OP was dealing with decent people

.

The fact that the finder took it out of the shop instead of handing it in, then resorted to extorting money when they couldn't unlock it says a lot.
What idiot thinks 20% of the value is a fair reward. Actually who would even have few enough scruples to even ask for one.

After the attempt to extort money from the OP, I wish he had withdrawn the offer of any reward and reported them for theft. Which is what they would be doing if they refused the then hand back the phone.
Obviously idiots who think there is actually a law called "Finders Keeper, losers weepers" as opposed to Theft by finding.

DLS

martyyn

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#478512 7-Jun-2011 12:54

trig42: Scum. She stole the phone, then when she could get no value out of she tried to 'sell' it back to you.

Report it. Probably wont go anywhere, but do it anyway.

I agree with this. If she really wanted to help should wouldve handed it in to the shop were she found it. Its not rocket science to think you would retrace your steps to find it.

As already mentioned its theft pure and simple, so she should be reported for it.

It will cost you ten minutes of your time to phone the local police station and give them the story. Its unlikely they will do anything but at least they will be aware of her name if it happens again.

In fact its probably not a bad way to make a little money is it? Its not that hard to lift a few smartphones when youre out and about on a Friday night and at $100 a phone thats not a bad nights work it you pick up four or five !

Dratsab

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#478516 7-Jun-2011 12:58

Kiwi1971: after the attempt to extort money from the OP, I wish he had withdrawn the offer of any reward and reported them for theft. Which is what they would be doing if they refused the then hand back the phone.

The theft was complete as soon as she picked the phone up. Should have been reported prior to collection, so she could have been spoken to nicely by the local police.

The deal's done now so too late, but you should have had a bit of thought around your safety - what if she'd had a friend/partner built like a brick s**t-house who took exception to you not forking over the desired amount?

Anyway, pleased you got your phone back without too much fuss in the end!!

Prey software is useful for computers too, I have it installed on all three computers here and am thinking of subscribing so I can add more equipment to it, including other family members gear.

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bazzer

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#478517 7-Jun-2011 13:01

Dratsab: The theft was complete as soon as she picked the phone up.

Huh?

Kiwi1971

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#478520 7-Jun-2011 13:05

bazzer:
Dratsab: The theft was complete as soon as she picked the phone up.

Huh?

I'd say as soon as she left the shop as she would have a "reasonable" period in which to hand it in.

bazzer

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#478524 7-Jun-2011 13:10

Kiwi1971:
bazzer:
Dratsab: The theft was complete as soon as she picked the phone up.

Huh?

I'd say as soon as she left the shop as she would have a "reasonable" period in which to hand it in.

Same. Still, even then there's a grey area, if her intention is to return it and she thought it would be better/easier to do it herself than hand it to the shop person to throw in a lost and found cupboard in the lunchroom, for example.

dickytim

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#478531 7-Jun-2011 13:25

bazzer:
Kiwi1971:
bazzer:
Dratsab: The theft was complete as soon as she picked the phone up.

Huh?

I'd say as soon as she left the shop as she would have a "reasonable" period in which to hand it in.

Same. Still, even then there's a grey area, if her intention is to return it and she thought it would be better/easier to do it herself than hand it to the shop person to throw in a lost and found cupboard in the lunchroom, for example.

The grey area turned black and white when she demanded a higher reward than offered.

TBH if you gave the police all the info you have, obviously you have the address so all the investigation work is done then they would follow up on it.

I agree with earlier sentiments, WTF is the world coming to that returning someone's possessions is not reward enough.

Makes me sick really.

And for the record, I would probably have had a play with it to try and find a contact number and maybe been a little nosey at the same time but when the number came up as someone trying to contact the phone I would have answered it or called back.

SteveON

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#478548 7-Jun-2011 13:54

I look forward to using the me.com feature of the iphone. Except I have the phone on permanent wipe if they hit the code more than 10 times.

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trig42

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#478551 7-Jun-2011 14:27

Yeah, the me.com thing on the iPhone is good. You can Lock or wipe the phone remotely, or send a message and make it play a sound. Plus it will tell you where it is. There was something in the Herald from Dunedin where a iPhone user got the police to knock on someone's door after her phone was lifted in a nightclub and she used findmyiphone to track it down.

stevenz

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#478553 7-Jun-2011 14:44

trig42: Yeah, the me.com thing on the iPhone is good. You can Lock or wipe the phone remotely, or send a message and make it play a sound. Plus it will tell you where it is. There was something in the Herald from Dunedin where a iPhone user got the police to knock on someone's door after her phone was lifted in a nightclub and she used findmyiphone to track it down.

WaveSecure does the same thing. I can locate it remotely, back up my data, wipe the device, then lock it and make it make a loud screaming noise if it is turned on or if the SIM is changed.

Won't stop a firmware reflash of course if they have the know-how, but the same is true of a firmware restore on an iPhone afaik.

@KnightNZ

stevenz

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#478554 7-Jun-2011 14:47

dafman:
stevenz: There's an app called "Contact Owner" that puts your contact details on the lockscreen.

Thanks for this. There are varying reviews on the app, though, with some posters saying it rendered their phone useless. Have you used?

It's on my Nexus One and my Galaxy Tab. The lockscreen doesn't have much space on a phone screen so you might need to be fairly selective with the information, or increase the LCD density to make the text size smaller. (Mine is set to 202 which I like).

No problems with it at all. Not sure if it needs the phone to be rooted or not, don't recall.

@KnightNZ

dafman

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#478566 7-Jun-2011 15:16

Fair comments about talking to the police, but I honestly doubt that anything would have come from it. If I did involve the police, arguably, she would say that she found the phone, contacted me to return it, and, although she suggested a higher reward when I arrived, she accepted the $20 offered and gave me back my phone. And, having met her, I don’t think for a moment that involving the police would have had any impact on how she would act in a similar situation in the future – she’d try it on again. From her perspective, I think she was just trying it on – to see if she could get as much money as possible. At the end of the day, I left with my phone, having paid the reward I intended from the outset - so, as unpleasant as it was at the time, I was happy to leave it at that.

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