Everyone loses things; but it takes a morally correct person
to return it to you when found. I learned my lesson the hard way by losing my
iPhone 4 twice in a cab in the Big Apple. You'd think people would be nice
enough to return it - but no. I get it; it's my fault that I lost it, but that
doesn't mean humanity shouldn't be kind enough to return it.
When I realized I had lost my phone, I did what any iPhone
user does - check the iCloud and set
up the alert system to set my phone to lock itself when it was turned on. Unfortunately,
the person who found my phone had already beaten. That person reset the phone
so that I couldn't find it. I put I couldn't in italics because I feel
like there should be a way that Apple can help you trace your phone - I mean
all phone's have a certain IMEI and when it's used on a carrier, they have to
provide that IMEI. Also, when an iPhone is hooked up to an iTunes account, a
serial number shows up. You would think that Apple could research the IMEI
and/or serial number on your iPhone to see if anyone has registered that same
device. But no - for some reason they cannot - due to ‘privacy concerns', even
though it's MY phone to begin with. My pictures, texts, and ‘privacy' were all
in the hands of a stranger.
The only reason I came to realize who actually did take my
phone was because I ended up using my old iPhone 3G, and while using the same
exact iCloud account and syncing it to its last backup from my iPhone 4, I
logged-in to same strange activity. As the iCloud started downloading all my
apps, texts, contacts, and pictures, a pop-up from the App store appeared,
asking me to enter my password. Standard for the most part, until I noticed
that it wasn't my email. In fact, the e-mail belonged to someone else located
in Holbrook, NY. ‘ThaWillsta' - I know you have my phone!
Sometimes I'll link my iPhone to my brother's iTunes (to
charge my phone) and for some reason my iPhone gets confused and asks me for
his password instead of mine. Here's
an example of what I'm talking about; this person has linked his iPhone to
his wife's iTunes and now it asks him for her password. This is exactly what
happened with ThaWilsta, who must've hooked up my iPhone 4 to his iTunes,
reset it, and sold it to someone else.
The iCloud remembered his email. As an advanced user of the
social media spaces, I put my investigative digital skills to the test. I
Googled his e-mail address. As a result, his Twitter and Facebook came up,
along with his full name. Luckily for me, he had checked-in via Facebook into
his house and added his cell phone number to his profile. Did I call him? You
bet I called him. But according to him, he doesn't have my phone; I went a step
further by informing Apple (who of course couldn't help me). I also went to
AT&T (my carrier) to ask if his phone number was an AT&T number which
to my disbelief was for another carrier. So, I guess he must have sold it and
now my hands are tied.
My temporary iPhone will forever ask me for this guy's Apple
ID password, reminding me of how terrible Apple's ‘Find My iPhone' is. I hope
Apple fixes these issues in the future so iPhones all over the world can remain
in their legitimate owner's pockets and not on CraigsList or eBay.
Hopefully products like Reward Tag will help losers like me, but until
then I'll keep a close eye on my iPhone's activity.