How to find a stolen cell phone. How to find a lost, switched off or misplaced phone. If your phone is lost at home

You will need

• Application to the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the loss or theft of a mobile phone, IMEI (international mobile equipment identifier).

Instructions

If you've lost your phone, don't panic right away. Try calling it or sending an SMS. Maybe the phone will be somewhere nearby, and when you hear the call, you will find it. You may be able to contact the person who found the phone and ask for it back for a reward or even just for fun.

If the phone does not answer, you must write a statement to the police about the loss or theft of the phone and attach the IMEI to it. IMEI is the International Mobile Equipment Identity; for most modern phones it is a 15-digit unique identification number that is entered into the mobile device registration database and programmed into the phone’s firmware. The IMEI can be found on the phone box above the barcode and under the battery. It is also advisable to attach the phone box, receipt and warranty card to the application. All this is necessary to confirm the fact that this mobile device belongs to you.

From the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the operators mobile communications You should receive a request to search for the location of the phone by IMEI. When a mobile device is connected to any GSM network, the IMEI is automatically sent to mobile operators, and they have technical feasibility determine within what base station there is a phone with this IMEI, and calculate its coordinates with a high degree of accuracy, even if its SIM card has been replaced. Upon request from the police, any mobile operator is required to provide information about the location of your phone, indicated on a map, as well as a list of calls made from the phone, if required.

There is another way to track a lost phone - use a special software, which is widely distributed on the Internet. According to the developers, some applications can, if necessary, lock the device and erase everything on it. important information, give alarm and warning signals to the kidnappers, send to email phone number if the SIM card is replaced. There are also many Internet services created, including by manufacturers of mobile equipment, that can use the phone’s GPS module to determine its location and indicate it on the map. However, you cannot guarantee the accuracy of determining the coordinates of your lost mobile device using these electronic resources, just as you cannot hope for the high performance of specially installed applications.

Many of us have experienced a situation in which either ours or someone we know was stolen. mobile phone. This, unfortunately, happens - petty thieves and scammers continue to hunt for gadgets in public places. There are several explanations for this.

Why do they steal?

Of course, mobile phones are stolen in order to sell them. And from this we understand that, firstly, on modern Cell Phones prices are quite high (on average, a device costs 10-15 thousand rubles, if it is not an iPhone, but also not an old “push-button” model). If an expensive phone (like an iPhone) is stolen, the price for a used gadget can reach up to 20-25 thousand.

Secondly, today the mobile phone has become so familiar in the daily life of each of us that any passerby, in fact, has at least one mobile phone with him. In the capital and large cities, especially in the central part, you can meet people who carry two mobile phones. Imagine how tempting thieves are.

Protect yourself

Wherever you are and no matter how many phones you have, try to protect yourself as much as possible from such cases. Agree, even if a cell phone is stolen, which is not of great value, the very fact of loss and loss of personal data is unpleasant. Perhaps someone stored valuable photos or correspondence on their smartphone, or something else that should not get to other people. The feeling of being accessible to someone else is very unpleasant.

Therefore, when you are in public places, try to feel your device. For example, put it in your inner pocket or in the very depths of your bag, and cover it with something. As a last resort, if you have nowhere to put your mobile phone, carry it in your hand - the chances that it will be taken away from you are less than the likelihood that it will be pulled out “quietly”.

However, we understand that it is one thing to give well-known advice, and quite another to find yourself in a difficult life situation when, in practice, your phone is stolen. What to do in this case, read on.

Blocking the device

First things first, you need to lock your device. This should be done as quickly as possible, preferably immediately after the loss is discovered. However, for this you will need a secret 15-digit code, also known as IMEI. This number represents the identifier with which your device is tagged. All mobile phones without exception have it, and it is very easy to find. You can look in the box that you received with the device, and you can also dial the combination *06#. Advice for the future - put the phone number in a place where you can find it at any time. For example, in a wallet. If you are afraid that it will be pulled out along with your mobile phone, store the IMEI somewhere on mailbox, which you always have access to.

Next, you need to contact the operator about the fact that your phone was stolen. What to do more specifically, we have already clarified above - you should block the device, make it useless for the criminal. For this you will need the IMEI code. Your mobile provider can send a blocking signal even if your phone is turned off.

Contact the police

Let's assume that we managed to disable the device. Obviously, the second challenge is how to track the phone; find out where it is and who has it. Only law enforcement agencies can cope with this problem. This is where you need to go as soon as possible. The officer on duty at the local police station must accept your missing report, to which you must attach a receipt for paying for the phone in the store and a box with all the documents. Here's another argument in favor of storing such things.

After receiving a report of theft, the police must transfer information to the special department “K”, which deals with such cases. Specialists from there make inquiries mobile operator and record where the phone is located. A task force is dispatched to the address.

Search for criminals

We answered the question of whether it can be found. You should immediately contact the operator and the police. Theoretically, it is, of course, possible to find; but whether they will do it or not depends on a lot of circumstances.

It is clear that thieves are not fools and, most likely, will think of removing the card right away so that the operator cannot track them. In addition, if the attackers have some experience, they know how to track the phone. Accordingly, they will do everything to prevent this. Whether the police will be able to get ahead of them depends, among other things, on how quickly you act.

Tracking software

The prices for some cell phones are quite high (for example, new flagship models like or Apple iPhone 6 cost 40 thousand each). Due to this, people are resorting to alternative ways to protect their smartphones. An option may be to install special tracking programs.

The point of their work is that an application is installed on the device, which is protected by a password from deletion. It communicates with an online server from which commands can be sent to it. For example, if a user's phone is stolen, he can activate front camera and get a snapshot from the device. The thief's face will be visible on it. There are a lot of such stories on the Internet, when a person who stole a phone continues to use it and does not suspect that all this time the former owner is watching him through a black front camera. For attackers, such stories, of course, do not end in the best way.

The same options are available with geolocation (for example, determining the location of the device), displaying an information message on the screen (something like “Return my phone for a reward”), and so on.

Apple's iCloud solution

In parallel with these applications, we can also mention the iCloud service, available on iOS devices. Its meaning is that each iPhone and iPad user will have their own account in the system. You can enter it when Apple help ID (login) and password. Among the functions of iCloud is the ability to lock a mobile phone or tablet, as well as enable its geolocation on a map (“Find my iPhone”).

Experienced thieves, of course, know how to bypass this function and how to effectively hide from any service. However, if newcomers stole the phone, you know what to do. Finding such people using the mentioned technologies is not difficult at all.

If all else fails

Of course, there are many methods aimed at finding a stolen mobile device. It all depends solely on your situation - how quickly you reacted to the loss, how experienced and cunning the thieves were.

Even if nothing helped and you couldn’t find your phone, don’t be upset. Sometimes the police will not be able to tell who stole the phone.

What should the owner do in such a situation? Show your own ingenuity! A common practice is to search for mobile phones, tablets, computers and other equipment on message boards. Fortunately, today Internet technologies are quite developed. How will an attacker sell your gadget? Most likely - on the largest portals, like Avito or From Hand to Hand. Register there and look for models similar to yours. If some signs coincide (scratches, dents on the case, etc.), make an appointment and check the same IMEI numbers, ask for a box from the item, and so on. Take action - and believe me, fortune can smile on you.

There are many things that a modern person can easily do without, but a mobile phone is definitely not on this list.

And since a mobile phone has long been an integral part of our lives, its unexpected loss (and such a situation can easily happen to anyone) plunges us into a confused state.

Losing your favorite gadget is a nuisance from which no one is immune.

The loss of a favorite gadget makes us sad

And indeed, this device not only serves to make calls, but also contains a large number of confidential information, including phone book with the numbers of our friends and closest people, notebook with a lot of personal information, our favorite applications and games, reminders and social network accounts with automatic login.

So, what should you do if your mobile device is lost (or stolen), and even if the situation is aggravated by the fact that the gadget is turned off due to, say, a dead battery?

First of all, you should not panic, but try, following the recommendations below, to find your irreplaceable loss.

Recommendation 1. We look for the phone in the suspected places of loss

Before starting the most global search, let’s make sure that we ourselves didn’t leave the device somewhere at work, in a taxi, or at a friend’s house during our last visit to them.

If you have lost your phone, don’t panic, but start searching

Our search would be greatly simplified by such a useful accessory as a keychain attached to a mobile phone and responding to our whistle or clap of the palm.

Therefore, if we are lucky and our phone is found somewhere in the house under a pile of things, the first thing we would like to do is to purchase such a keychain to make our life easier in the future.

Recommendation 2. If your Android phone is lost, the Android Device Manager service will help us

Special service from Google Android Device Manager will help you in your search

In the event that we have lost a mobile device based on Android, we can turn to a special service from Google, which is called Android Device Manager :

What should we do if the search did not produce results, and our lost device is also turned off? There is another way to search - via IMEI, which is known to be an original 15-digit number stamped on the body of each mobile device, usually under the battery.

As a rule, the 15-digit IMEI is located under the battery.

To find out the IMEI code on your phone, dial the USB combination *#06#

Note: In order to find out our phone number, it is not necessary to remove the case cover, just dial the USB combination *#06# on the phone and these numbers will appear on the screen of our device.

So, knowing the IMEI of a lost mobile phone, you can file a loss report with a law enforcement agency, whose employees will request the location of your device directly to the telecom operator and thus receive complete and reliable information about the location of your device and even the exact address of its new owner.

However, there is one “BUT” - police officers do not always take on the solution of such issues, but only in the case when a crime has been committed - theft. Otherwise, if it turns out that your phone is in your own home, then penalties cannot be avoided.

Recommendation 4. Search for a mobile device by satellite

This type of search is available to mere mortals only in two cases:

Let us consider in more detail the second case, as it is more probable. The above LoSToleN program works as follows - when replacing your SIM card on a stolen or lost device with new map, the command of this program is immediately activated, which sends you an SMS message to the specified “spare” number. After which you not only become aware that someone is using the phone, but also find out the number of its new owner. And then it’s up to you – either call and figure it out yourself, or contact the police.

Recommendation 5. An alternative way to search by satellite

Perhaps the site maps-info.ru will help you find the device.

So, to begin an independent search for a mobile device via satellite, first of all, let’s connect to its monitoring on a special website maps-info.ru.

To do this, on this resource we find the “free monitoring” section. We register in the system, indicating two mobile phone numbers - your current one, to which you want to receive information, and the number of the phone that we intend to look for.

The most important thing when registering and in further actions is to strictly follow the proposed instructions, which, however, are very simple - you just need to enter the missing subscriber’s number in a certain field and click the “search” function.

As a rule, all the information found is displayed on our monitor screen within a few minutes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to remind you of one truth - in order not to look for anything, it is better not to lose anything. Take care in advance about the safety of your phone and then you will never need all the above tips. Good luck!

True, in that situation, if the mobile phone was allegedly stolen, you tried to call your number, but it was turned off, then it will be very difficult to find it - until the phone is turned on. Unfortunately, the time period that will be spent on searching can be either a couple of days or weeks or several months. Therefore, decide for yourself whether you really need it. For example, if your mobile phone is already more than two or three years old, then your wasted energy and free time will be spent almost in vain. It will be easier to simply buy a new cell phone. Please also note that most often after a theft occurs, the phone is immediately reflashed (settings reset, formatted), and the SIM card is thrown away. If the phone is reset, you will no longer be able to return contact data, photos, SMS, videos, etc. So think again whether the game is worth the candle.

What to do if your smartphone is stolen?

If, after all, your stolen phone is of great value to you, and you decide to return it with all your might, then even before going to the police, perform a few simple steps:

1) block your SIM card. This is especially important if you have a considerable amount in your account, or if you use a credit form of payment. In order to do this, you will need to contact the customer support service of your telecom operator. You will be asked to provide your passport details according to the contract;

2) if the amount in your account is not so large, then you still need to block the SIM card so that it is not used for personal gain. At the same time, request a printout of calls from your mobile, this will significantly increase the likelihood of finding your phone if it was stolen and it is turned off. It will also make the police's job much easier;

3) this method is more likely from the realm of science fiction, but it’s still worth a try in case your phone was not stolen, but found. Therefore, just in case, try to call your number. If they do pick up the phone, talk calmly to the person, ask how they came into possession of your phone, and tell them that if the phone is returned, you will not contact the police. If the phone is so dear to you, promise a reward. Sometimes you can really agree and not look for other ways to find a phone if it was stolen;

4) if your iPhone was stolen, then you can try using special applications that find the phone (for example, iCloud). Some Twitter and Google apps use geolocation, so you can record all the data that comes from a particular location. You may need them a little later;

5) just in case, change all passwords for programs, social networks and services that you used from your mobile;

6) Additionally, try to personally search for your mobile phone on various websites and newspapers where they advertise the sale of communication equipment. There is a possibility that scammers will try to get rid of your mobile phone in this way;

7) in addition, submit an advertisement for the purchase of your phone model yourself. Try to make your ad stand out from others in some way. Perhaps this way you can literally catch a thief “by the hand”;

8) since any type of phone has a welcome message function, write the number of your friend (parent, relative) and the reward amount as this message. In this case, perhaps the person who stole will be interested in your offer and you will be able to negotiate with him;

9) if you were in a place where there was a large crowd of people before the loss was discovered, try to return there and ask about the phone. It’s quite rare, but it doesn’t always happen that someone found your phone and took it to the sellers (if you were in a store), or to the duty officers (at stations). Do not miss this opportunity, because perhaps people simply do not know how to use this or that phone to call the owner, but they are certainly ready to return it to you. Do not ignore this even if the last time the phone was in your line of sight, it was almost dead. After all, maybe someone found your phone, but simply cannot contact you because it is completely dead;

10) there is another way to find a phone if it was stolen - by imei. It is a unique serial number of any phone that supports the GSM format. This number is transmitted automatically by the phone when connecting to any network operator. This serial number is located on the box in which the purchased phone was located - under the barcode. Also get the documents for the purchase - they may be useful to you - with the addition in the form of a receipt, the fact that the phone belongs to you will be confirmed.

Further actions

After you have completed these simple manipulations, contact the police directly. There you will need to file a statement regarding the theft (or loss). The application form is not particularly regulated. You must provide your personal information (full name), address, telephone number and signature. After the duty station accepts your application, you will receive a notification coupon with the application number and the name of the police officer who accepted your application. You can find out what will happen with your case, the timing of its consideration and progress either in the duty station or in the internal affairs accounting groups. Then, based on how busy the police officers who accepted your application will be, your mobile phone will be searched with the help of telecom operators. The search will proceed as follows: all SIM cards that were inserted into the mobile phone after the fact of theft will be identified, and the person who inserted their SIM card into the phone stolen from you will be “processed”. Starting from identifying such a person, the likelihood of finding and returning your phone will increase many times over.

Safety Cautions

In order to reduce the possibility of someone stealing your phone to a minimum, try to protect yourself. In addition, even before a possible theft occurs, simplify the task of getting your phone back (just in case):

1) try to carry your phone on some kind of mount - this will increase the likelihood that even if they try to pull your phone out, you will notice it;

2) install a special security code on your mobile - this aspect will greatly complicate the use of a “foreign” SIM card and will even lower the price from buyers of such goods - after all, such a phone will require unlocking;

3) a banal warning, but still worth mentioning - do not let strangers use your mobile phone;

4) try not to carry your phone in purses and bags, because they can be easily cut or simply snatched from your hands;

5) install special programs aimed at maximizing theft prevention. For example, some of these programs: Guardian, SimWatcher, Thefft, PhoneSecure and the like can be installed for completely different phones: for communicators, and for PDAs, and for smartphones, and for standard mobile phones. If desired, you can install them in almost any GSM service. With the presence of such programs, even if your phone is stolen, you can significantly protect yourself. If another SIM card is inserted into your phone, then this type of program will send SMS messages to the numbers you personally specified. This way you can find out the number of the thief or the person who found your phone. Also, programs can completely block the operation of a mobile phone;

6) save your contact list in another place as well. After all, even if your mobile is lost, all important numbers will be safe;

7) if your mobile phone is very expensive, then you can insure it. Then in case of loss or theft you will receive mandatory compensation;

8) always keep all documents, receipts and phone box.

Has your mobile phone been stolen? Not the best news. Both at home and abroad, you should try to return the device as soon as possible. Modern phones and smartphones are found using a built-in or preinstalled program that allows you to track the device. Such applications have different levels of practicality. In some cases, it is necessary that your device is turned on and connected to the Internet. You can also find a phone the old fashioned way - just call or text and arrange a return.

Steps

How to return a missing phone

Call the phone. If you have lost a regular phone (not a smartphone) from which you cannot connect to the Internet, then you will not be able to track the device online. A different approach needs to be taken. Start calling your number. If you are lucky, the thief may answer your call. If the phone simply fell out of your pocket (in a taxi or on the subway), the person who found it can arrange a meeting with you to return it.

• If the call is answered, say, “Hello, my name is [your name]. You have my mobile phone. He is very important to me. I would like to return the device. We can meet?"

1. Write a message. Even if the call is not answered, try writing a message. Perhaps the thief will change his mind and decide to return the phone to the owner. Send a short message: indicate a number where you can be contacted and ask to return the device. If you deem it appropriate, you can offer a reward.

   • To do this, you will need another mobile phone. Reach out to a friend. If you are far from friends and family, then try asking a stranger with a polite request.

2. Be careful if you arrange to meet. If the person (who stole or accidentally found the phone) agrees to meet you and return the device, then take precautions. Arrange to meet in a crowded place like a central square or a busy bus stop during daylight hours. Try not to go to the meeting alone. Go to such a meeting with a friend (for company and for safety reasons). Ask a friend to take a cell phone with you so you can call the police if necessary.

   • Take every possible precaution, even if the person's tone seems friendly enough, when you communicate over the phone or via text.

   How to notify authorities and your telecom operator

   1. Contact authorities. If you contact the police about your lost phone, they will be able to provide you with limited assistance in locating your device. Call the police on a non-emergency number. The branch employee will ask you for the serial number of the device. On a smartphone, the serial number can be the Android ID, which is indicated under the battery (if it is removable). Android ID is a series of numbers preceded by an “IMEI” (International Mobile Equipment Identifier).

      • When contacting the police, say something like this: “Hello, I believe my phone was stolen. I noticed it was missing about 10 minutes ago near the library.”

   2. Notify the operator. If a call to your phone remains unanswered, call your mobile operator and report your phone as stolen. The company may be able to locate your device using GPS navigation.

      • If a GPS search is not possible or is unsuccessful, ask your operator to suspend service for your phone. This way, a thief won't be able to use your number and you won't have to pay potentially large bills for calls.

   3. Try looking for a phone number. Try to remember where you noticed the phone was missing and return to that place. Perhaps the thief suddenly changed his mind and dumped your device near the site of the theft.

      • Reverse your route and continue calling your number.

   How to track a stolen phone

   1. Enable apps to track your smartphone's location. On the iPhone, this program is called “Find My iPhone,” and on Android devices- “Find device”. The program will track the location of the phone and transmit the relevant information to cloud storage. First of all, you need to set up this function when you purchase the phone (you won’t be able to activate the search after it’s lost).

      Turn on Lost Mode. This mode can be enabled remotely: log into your account iCloud or Google and activate this function. If you enable Lost Mode, the owner of your device will not be able to log into your account and access smartphone data and applications.