Watch your I-phone and Android!

[DutchmenSport]

We just returned from a trip to Iowa to visit the daughter and our 3 granddaughters. It was a wonderful trip, and the kids just loved sleeping in the camper with us.

But, in the midst of all our fun, we had a disheartening event. We had the two small children with us in our truck and my wife ran into the grocery store in a little town called Hubbard, Iowa.

Now, Hubbard is a small "country town", quaint, peaceful, and one of those communities where the sidewalks roll up at 5:00, everything shuts down on Sunday, and the biggest event is a random deer that might cross the road!

So, into the store she went. But when we got back to the camper, she realized her Android phone was missing. We searched everything, including going back to my daughter's house and the grocery store we were just at. No phone.

My wife called AT&T on my phone and had her phone service suspended, so no one else could use the phone. Sadly, only 3 minutes before she made the call, someone used the phone. So we knew it was in the hands of someone else.

My wife and daughter went to Ames, Iowa hoping to get another phone. Unfortunately, the representative at the mall area was not very helpful and definitely did not know how to deal with "out of state" issues. But he did say, there is a real problem, even in small towns in no-where-land, Iowa with phones getting stolen.

Today we are back home. My wife went to Indianapolis to "our" AT&T store and was able to get a new phone. Talking to the sales rep at the store, he said there is currently a REAL problem with phones getting stolen, pick-pocketed.

The culprit will somehow get the victim slightly distracted, and, instead of pick-pocketing your wallet, they take your phone.

What do they do with them? There's a real racket going on right now where anyone can simply drop a cell phone into a Kiosk and get cash back on the phone, even if the phone is not theirs!

When the Superbowl was held in Indianapolis this year, evidently there were many, many people that had their phones stolen at the event. (Good business for AT&T, but really sucks for the victim!).

SO BEWARE! We've never had anything stolen in years and years of camping all over the country ... until now. And who would have thought that in a little country town in the middle of a cornfield and windmills, such sinister events are happening!

LADIES ... DON'T leave your phones exposed in those outer pockets of your purse.

GUYS... Don't put your phone down anywhere and turn away if your are in any public environment. Keep in in your pocket, unseen!

Hard lesson we learned on this trip. Never would have thought we'd be victims of theft, but we were. It happened to us, it COULD happen to you!

Beware! Watch your I-phone and Android .... always!

[DutchmenSport]

I think about 99% of you missed the reason I took the time to make this post. Here's the intent of what I was attempting to say. Regardless of what kind of phone you have (or any other type of electronic device), thieves are actively and aggressively pick-pocketing these devices. This is the "hot" item, easy to take, easy to get a few dollars cash, and not very traceable. Don't be the next victim. Even in the most passive moment, keep them secure.

For what it's worth, we keep no personal information on our phones. Our contact list is just names and phone numbers, and that's it. And, the replacement my wife got, we did password protect it and got the tracking app now.

It's not the fact we had anything of value ON the phone, it was just the raw inconvenience of loosing it in the first place. And when your on vacation, loosing your phone is no fun.

[IndyCamp]

wny_pat wrote:
You guys need to install the Lookout App. It uses the phones GPS to locate it and sets off a flashing visual alarm and makes your phone scream. It also can protect your data or wipe you phone clean! Best part is that the basic app does not cost anything. There are other similar apps out there.

Yeah, Lookout for Android is awesome.

Another cool feature is that if anyone incorrectly enters my password three times, the front camera silently takes a picture of their face and emails it to me along with the GPS location of the phone.

[Iraqvet05]

For me, my smart phone is an extension of my work computer so a "dumb" phone simply won't work. I like the ability to e-mail, make appointments, open office files, or surf the web (entertainment or business related) without being tied to my office desk or home PC. Eventually, I'll retire and probably won't need a phone for something beyond talking but the smart phone servers a bigger purpose for now.

[wny_pat1]

You guys need to install the Lookout App. It uses the phones GPS to locate it and sets off a flashing visual alarm and makes your phone scream. It also can protect your data or wipe you phone clean! Best part is that the basic app does not cost anything. There are other similar apps out there.

[wa8yxm]

There are masny "Find your ____" (I-phone or Android) apps in the app stores.

When I lost mine it pinpointed where the phone was..Sadly we still could not find it.. I finally found it a few days later well hidden in plain sight.

We tried calling it from about 2 feet away and could not hear it ring

Tried the SHOUT feature of the find your droid app, no joy there either again we were only a couple feet from it when I clicked on the button.

But the GPS locator found it.

[legolas]

Tom/Barb wrote:
I have a dumb phone, it rides in my pocket, and rings when some one calls, that is all it does.

X2, all that encryption, backup etc, etc is for computers a phone is for making phone calls, just MHO

[popeyemth]

popeyemth wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

gbopp wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
I have a dumb phone, it rides in my pocket, and rings when some one calls, that is all it does.

x3. And, sometimes I wish I didn't have any cell phone. But, they are convenient...

x4 almost. since I rarely have it turned on, it rarely rings.
watched my grandson "texting" and suggested that it would be nice if somebody would invent a machine that allowed you, instead of mashing a bunch of keys, actually talk to somebody else.

bumpy

"...Jeepers,Dick Tracy,I want one of those TWO WAY WRIST COMMUNICATORS from Diet Smith too!"

Junior Tracy,circa 1960

Copyright 1927

[popeyemth]

Bumpyroad wrote:

gbopp wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
I have a dumb phone, it rides in my pocket, and rings when some one calls, that is all it does.

x3. And, sometimes I wish I didn't have any cell phone. But, they are convenient...

x4 almost. since I rarely have it turned on, it rarely rings.
watched my grandson "texting" and suggested that it would be nice if somebody would invent a machine that allowed you, instead of mashing a bunch of keys, actually talk to somebody else.

bumpy

"...Jeepers,Dick Tracy,I want one of those TWO WAY WRIST COMMUNICATORS from Diet Smith too!"

[TyroneandGladys]

paulcardoza wrote:
Cellular carriers have the capability to easily blacklist stolen phones, by blocking the IMEI number. They simply choose not to do so, for some reason. Probably some corporate lawyers telling them they could be sued for one reason or another if they started blocking phones.

Until this changes, it's everyone for themselves. Protect your property at all times.

Stolen phones have to be replaced Why would the manufacture or carries want to reduce that market????????????

[minn_camping_fa]

Bumpyroad wrote:

gbopp wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
I have a dumb phone, it rides in my pocket, and rings when some one calls, that is all it does.

x3. And, sometimes I wish I didn't have any cell phone. But, they are convenient...

x4 almost. since I rarely have it turned on, it rarely rings.
watched my grandson "texting" and suggested that it would be nice if somebody would invent a machine that allowed you, instead of mashing a bunch of keys, actually talk to somebody else.

bumpy

x6... and mine's a TracFone which is a pay-as-you-go deal. I can call, text, use wifi, and use my minutes to get online if necessary, but it usually just sits there. I would laugh at someone dumb enough to steal my phone 🙂

Slightly off topic: I never want to turn into one of these people who have their phone constantly stuffed in their faces. I recently vacationed with a friend and she missed 75% of the scenery and conversation because she was browsing Facebook and posting updates all the time. Those folks think they can multi-task but they really can't.

[rockhillmanor]

Was the camper locked? Did they 'break into your camper'?

[Jerallen]

Posted By: Bumpyroad on 07/31/13 08:57am

gbopp wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:

I have a dumb phone, it rides in my pocket, and rings when some one calls, that is all it does.

x3. And, sometimes I wish I didn't have any cell phone. But, they are convenient...


x4 almost. since I rarely have it turned on, it rarely rings.
watched my grandson "texting" and suggested that it would be nice if somebody would invent a machine that allowed you, instead of mashing a bunch of keys, actually talk to somebody else.

bumpy

X5. dumb and prepaid.

(and I NEVER, EVER look at my phone while we're enaged in a conversation)

[kmbelt]

Cell phones sell like crazy here. a used iPhone 4 will bring about $125 and an iPhone 4s will bring $200. Android phones are the same. It is a way for people to make some quick cash. Just wipe it clean and post it on CraigsList or Facebook for sale. guaranteed gone in 2 days to an unexpected buyer who has no clue it was stolen. The younger crowd is the ones doing this.

[fj12ryder]

I just have a dumb phone and it sits on my desk most of the time. However I have seen my grandsons and step-son lose numerous phones and have a couple stolen. To me that is an excellent reason not to have sensitive data on one. The new easy-pay system is way cool, but considering how often these phones go missing I would be very hesitant about storing anything on them that someone else could use to my detriment.

[Bumpyroad]

gbopp wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
I have a dumb phone, it rides in my pocket, and rings when some one calls, that is all it does.

x3. And, sometimes I wish I didn't have any cell phone. But, they are convenient...

x4 almost. since I rarely have it turned on, it rarely rings.
watched my grandson "texting" and suggested that it would be nice if somebody would invent a machine that allowed you, instead of mashing a bunch of keys, actually talk to somebody else.

bumpy