Found an iPhone 4S, not what?

[theyare]

Found a Verizon iPhone 4S in a cab the other night. It was passcode locked.

Set it aside, waiting for the text / phone call of the owner looking for it.

Woke up - there were two missed calls ( cannot see the phone numbers) and then a text with a bunch of random #s and letters.

I'm assuming the text was some type of remote wipe - the phone no longer receives 3G service.

Took it to Apple - they didn't care, tole me to take it to Verizon.

Verizon said it has been wiped and the owner most likely had insurance on it that's why it was shut down. So they didn't care either.

What can I do with this thing now? Every google search leads me to some vortex of hacking / jailbreaking that I can't follow.

 

[Mr. Moo]

Craigslist.

 

[Verniza]

Send it my way. I could dispose it for you at a nominal fee.

 

[sns23]

Sell it

 

[theyare]

I was thinking about selling it. Howerver, I'd like to avoid any blowback on me if it was reported as stolen or something. Is that possible?

No idea what the market for something like this is.

 

[sns23]

Then you can always return it to your local police station and claim it after it is not collected.

 

[sinnedk]



I was thinking about selling it. Howerver, I'd like to avoid any blowback on me if it was reported as stolen or something. Is that possible?
No idea what the market for something like this is.

try to plug into pc w/itunes and restore it, if you can take out sim card idk if verizon iphones have sim car access

 

[hobo style]

Bring it to the cops. The phone can't be tracked after it has been wiped but is it really worth the slight risk of getting caught selling "stolen" goods? If you're about to get evicted because you can't make your rent then maybe, otherwise no.

 

[sinnedk]



Bring it to the cops. The phone can't be tracked after it has been wiped but is it really worth the slight risk of getting caught selling "stolen" goods? If you're about to get evicted because you can't make your rent then maybe, otherwise no.

its not stolen if he found it and cant find owner

 

[MrG]



its not stolen if he found it and cant find owner

True, but he risks having to prove that if it's somehow tracked down.

I'd try to find a way to show you did your best to find the owner - perhaps what sns23 recommended - then either use it or sell it.

 

[hobo style]

its not stolen if he found it and cant find owner

I know it's not actually stolen, hence the quotes, but you might have a bit more trouble convincing the police. Generally speaking, the "I just found it in a cab" excuse doesn't really work with them -- just ask the guy who found that iPhone prototype. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/10/brian-hogan-sentenced/

He made multiple attempts to contact the owner and to contact Apple before he tried to sell it, but he still got busted. I know that Theyare didn't find a prototype but otherwise his situation is pretty much the same.

 

[Rambo]

Call Apple. I'm curious as to what they'd say since they log all ESN numbers. If you try to activate it with your carrier (The 4S will work on all carriers when unlocked) and try to update it, will Apple blacklist the phone?

 

[sinnedk]



I know it's not actually stolen, hence the quotes, but you might have a bit more trouble convincing the police. Generally speaking, the "I just found it in a cab" excuse doesn't really work with them -- just ask the guy who found that iPhone prototype. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/10/brian-hogan-sentenced/
He made multiple attempts to contact the owner and to contact Apple before he tried to sell it, but he still got busted. I know that Theyare didn't find a prototype but otherwise his situation is pretty much the same.

totally different situation,

nothing will happen for selling that phone, people do this all the time on craigslist not an issue.

Call Apple. I'm curious as to what they'd say since they log all ESN numbers. If you try to activate it with your carrier (The 4S will work on all carriers when unlocked) and try to update it, will Apple blacklist the phone?

apple wont blacklist phone, i;ve had situations where a family member upgraded and then gave phone to another person, att just activated it thats it.

 

[sns23]



its not stolen if he found it and cant find owner

Just because he did not steal it does not mean it's not stolen. A thief could have stole it and then left in the cab.

 

[Rambo]



apple wont blacklist phone, i;ve had situations where a family member upgraded and then gave phone to another person, att just activated it thats it.

Ah, but in that instance, the phone wasn't remote wiped. I'm curious if the remote wipe also sends a signal to either Verizon or Apple that the phone was stolen and the ESN should be blacklisted.