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iPhone Found a Verizon iPhone 4s - What Now?

I

itsniceilike

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
1
0
Hi,
I found a Verizon iPhone 4s (3g). It is unlocked and activated. I'd like to use it as much as I can. How do I switch it over to my phone number or a new phone number which I can use?

I currently have a blackberry with AT&T that I get it through work for free. If I could substitute this phone into my current plan that would be great. Or I'm open to starting a new plan solely for this phone (iphone 4s) if I have to and can.

Please let me know how I can go about doing this or any advice you have. I know very little about iphones as I've never had one. Much appreciated!
 
itsniceilike said:
Hi,
I found a Verizon iPhone 4s (3g). It is unlocked and activated. I'd like to use it as much as I can. How do I switch it over to my phone number or a new phone number which I can use?

I currently have a blackberry with AT&T that I get it through work for free. If I could substitute this phone into my current plan that would be great. Or I'm open to starting a new plan solely for this phone (iphone 4s) if I have to and can.

Please let me know how I can go about doing this or any advice you have. I know very little about iphones as I've never had one. Much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Have you made any attempt to give it back to the previous owner? If not, I don't believe anyone here would be willing to help you.
 
At least make a attempt to return the phone first. After 60 days the phone is yours legally. Before than I don't think anyone will help you.
 
Helixc0de said:
After 60 days the phone is yours legally.
Click to expand...

Says who???????????????????????????????????????????

We'd get people calling our department now and then telling us about things they found and if they could keep them. We always advised them that if the owner filed a stolen report and we came across them with the item we'd arrest them, and/or seize the property. Some of you have either no conscience or no morals I don't know which.
 
Do the right thing, just return it to verizon and they will give it back to the owner. Veriizon is on CDMA network, so they can locate owner easily. Even if you keep it, you won't be able to use it because once the owner report stolen, it will have bad ESN and wont be able to use it.
 
You can't use it with your account. AT&T and Verizon use different radio types, so you might as well try to find the owner, or wait for them to find it with Find My iPhone.
 
Crystal-RX said:
Do the right thing, just return it to verizon and they will give it back to the owner. Veriizon is on CDMA network, so they can locate owner easily. Even if you keep it, you won't be able to use it because once the owner report stolen, it will have bad ESN and wont be able to use it.
Click to expand...



I'm sure this lost iphone, (like all the others) was reported "stolen" on one of these sites - lol

Why not turn it on so the owner call call you and set up a return -
(why would you wanna take someone else's iphone? - ur asking for bad karma dude)
 
Last edited:
Like others said the phone is useless once it's reported lost to Verizon. And either way you cannot use it on AT&T. Best thing to do is dont be a bum, answer the phone when the owner calls and make arrangements to return it. Maybe karma will come back to you when you need it. Life is full of changes like that.
 
If you have no intentions of returning it, you seriously thought we were gonna help you steal it?!
Contact Verizon and return the phone!
 
Crystal-RX said:
Do the right thing, just return it to verizon and they will give it back to the owner. Veriizon is on CDMA network, so they can locate owner easily. Even if you keep it, you won't be able to use it because once the owner report stolen, it will have bad ESN and wont be able to use it.
Click to expand...

itsniceilike said:
Hi,
I found a Verizon iPhone 4s (3g). It is unlocked and activated. I'd like to use it as much as I can. How do I switch it over to my phone number or a new phone number which I can use?

I currently have a blackberry with AT&T that I get it through work for free. If I could substitute this phone into my current plan that would be great. Or I'm open to starting a new plan solely for this phone (iphone 4s) if I have to and can.

Please let me know how I can go about doing this or any advice you have. I know very little about iphones as I've never had one. Much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Applejuiced said:
Like others said the phone is useless once it's reported lost to Verizon. And either way you cannot use it on AT&T. Best thing to do is dont be a bum, answer the phone when the owner calls and make arrangements to return it. Maybe karma will come back to you when you need it. Life is full of changes like that.
Click to expand...


It doesn't matter, even if its reported for bad esn, one can still use it as an iPod touch music player with 8MP camera!!!

@OP google is your friend here, in the event it gets locked just use it as a portable camera to supplement your blackberry
 
Invincibilizer said:
It doesn't matter, even if its reported for bad esn, one can still use it as an iPod touch music player with 8MP camera!!!

@OP google is your friend here, in the event it gets locked just use it as a portable camera to supplement your blackberry
Click to expand...

Great advice:rolleyes:
He can still use it now but if he ever updates it or the owner remote wipes it he wont be able to activate it to get into the homescreen. Or if the owner tracks it he can be in even more trouble with the law.
OP it doesnt matter if its not yours, just keep it and use someone elses device.:rolleyes:
 
itsniceilike said:
Hi,
I found a Verizon iPhone 4s (3g). It is unlocked and activated. I'd like to use it as much as I can. How do I switch it over to my phone number or a new phone number which I can use?

I currently have a blackberry with AT&T that I get it through work for free. If I could substitute this phone into my current plan that would be great. Or I'm open to starting a new plan solely for this phone (iphone 4s) if I have to and can.

Please let me know how I can go about doing this or any advice you have. I know very little about iphones as I've never had one. Much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Just return it, it's useless to you with tracking now on for lost iPhones and the disabling once it's reported stolen.
If you're lucky there's a reward. Otherwise, if you keep it.. Well, then it's evident that by "found," you actually meant; stolen. Have a heart and return it.
 
Wow, I just registered yesterday and I can't believe that some members here are actually encouraging him to keep stolen property. Come on guys, what kind of screwed up world are you living in?
 
PEOPLE--This guy is a TROLL--he just joined and ZERO post. Lock this thread or delete it would be better! Just some STUPID Dumb A*****
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Comeagain? said:
700-Grizz said:
PEOPLE--This guy is a TROLL--he just joined and ZERO post. Lock this thread or delete it would be better! Just some STUPID Dumb A*****
Click to expand...

Not every new person is a troll. If you wanted advice, you'd ask. That's what they did.
Click to expand...

Yeah but they havent made a reply tet hence there trolling and no doubt just wanted a reaction.
 
hackthatphone said:
Says who???????????????????????????????????????????

We'd get people calling our department now and then telling us about things they found and if they could keep them. We always advised them that if the owner filed a stolen report and we came across them with the item we'd arrest them, and/or seize the property. Some of you have either no conscience or no morals I don't know which.
Click to expand...

In 44 out of the 50 states, state law requires that the person finding a lost item the owner has a 60 day period to find the phone. Remember Google is your friend...
 
Wow!

Saturday, I lost my iphone 4S at a CVS pharmacy. I was on the phone with my girlfriend to get the correct medication. After the call, and a brief conversation with the pharmacist, i walked away. Within a few minutes, i realized my phone was not in my rear pocket! Then the panic set it, I was in total shock. The store called my phone 3 times, it rang but could not be heard,then went to voicemail. Used the "find my iphone app" to late. Long story short, it will cost me $200. deductable and I should get it by wednesday. Oh and at&t said it will be rendured "useless' as a phone .
To even think of keeping that phone is down right evil and criminal.
 
not to mention he just Joined MR to bump this thread and rip on the guy!! TS hasn't even been on since the day he created it.
 
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Lost Iphone

Jerks.... there is no such rule that after 60 days property is yours anywhere in the US. Once a police report is taken......... if you are caught with that property you will be arrested. The statute on limitations to prosecute you expire after approximately 5 years (based on the state) after the report.
Anyone who loses an iphone is in a panic. Why on earth would you want to keep someones iphone. Are you a good person or a thief? Keep their iphone and expect bad things to happen to you and your family. And when it does... as you it there crying asking Why this happened to you.... Remember you are a thief. That's why it happened to you. Turn the phone in or curse yourself and your family.
 
Since this was bumped, again..

First, the iPhone 4S is a world phone. The comments stating that a Verizon iPhone cannot be used on AT&T are true for the iPhone 4, but false for the iPhone 4S.

If the iPhone 4S was unlocked by Verizon, it was probably unlocked only for use internationally. This means that AT&T SIM's will be rejected by the phone, but if you use an international carrier that roams with AT&T in the US, the phone will connect to AT&T's network.

If its ESN/MEID (CDMA phone identifier) is marked as stolen in Verizon's database, that will not affect it working on AT&T, or some of the other CDMA carriers who are less discerning. If, for some crazy reason, its IMEI (GSM phone identifier) was marked as stolen in AT&T's database, I believe it's nationwide but would still work fine in other countries.

The obvious right thing to do is to return the phone. If you can afford to pay AT&T or Verizon's stupidly high rates, you can afford the $200 to buy yourself a new phone. However, if you meant that you found a good deal on Craigslist, and it's internationally unlocked, sell it on eBay to someone in another country or use it on Verizon / PagePlus.
 
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