If you found a mobile phone and knew or could locate the owner would you turn it in?

Windows7forever on 17/03/2015 - 17:29
Last edited 17/03/2015 - 17:31

I found an SG5($700 phone) today and was able to return it to its rightful owner. Obviously she was very thankful for my honesty, perhaps a little embarrassed that she was careless (x 2) due to the fact that her phone wasn't entirely locked down and I had to go in to find information that would help locate her (.e.g name, photo, home phone, etc), although I didn't snoop or look at anything else.

Assume you found a very expensive phone in public and it wasn't remotely traceable/locate-able with security software or you had the means of "wiping it" i.e. you could "get away with taking it", would you take it?

This is more a question of personal ethics and honesty rather than if it is possible to evade detection.

I'd like to think that if I accidentally misplaced my phone and someone had the means or capacity to locate me then they would try to make an effort to return the phone.

Poll Options

  • 559
    Yes, definitely turn it in. Good morals and doing the right thing are important.
  • 12
    Maybe, it depends on the circumstances and whether I can get away with it.
  • 17
    No, Finder's keepers. I'm pawning that thing!
General Discussion

Comments

  • WaywardOne on 17/03/2015 - 17:35
    +2

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theft_by_finding
    However I can imagine that maybe some kids might keep it, but regardless it is still theft.

  • CheapCoffee on 17/03/2015 - 17:44

    I know a friend who had a visit from the police to her workplace because someone accidentally left their phone in her car (which she didn't know about). Apparently, the person that lost the phone thought someone has stolen it and reported it to the local police although it was just her being careless with her possession.

    I believe they traced the phone's location via Find My iPhone (https://www.apple.com/au/icloud/find-my-iphone.html)

  • ProspectiveDarkness on 17/03/2015 - 17:45
    +10

    I'd just drop it into the police station. Looking through the phone requires more effort than I'd be willing to commit to the endeavour (and you never know how some people will react to you looking through their phone…). But yeah, definitely wouldn't keep it myself.

    • chipstss on 18/03/2015 - 19:10
      +3

      (and you never know how some people will react to you looking through their phone…)

      Agreed I'd much prefer the police looking through my phone….

  • cloudy on 17/03/2015 - 17:56
    +6

    I found a ipod touch, and probably could have found the owner, but instead it was just easier to go to the cop shop and hand it in.

    In retrospect, it wasn't as easy as I hoped. The cops work like snails. I was tempted just to leave the device and walk off.

  • inherentchoice on 17/03/2015 - 18:06

    If you kept a stolen phone and it's locked to a carrier, the owner can report it to the carrier who can then somehow block the phone using the IMEI. Makes the handset almost worthless.

    My phone got stolen and I had to explain to the insurer that I couldn't do this because it was an unlocked phone.

    • mskeggs on 17/03/2015 - 18:10
      +10

      This is incorrect. Unlocked phones can be blocked too.

      • inherentchoice on 17/03/2015 - 18:45

        Okay I must have told the insurer a lie. Oh well.

        How can I block the stolen phone now? I don't have the IMEI.

        • JetBombat on 17/03/2015 - 19:11
          +1

          Your provider does.

        • inherentchoice on 17/03/2015 - 19:14
          +1

          @JetBombat: How? I never bought the phone off them. My phone is not their responsibility. Only the SIM card comes from them.

        • jzdhgkd on 17/03/2015 - 19:58
          +13

          @inherentchoice: IMEI is locked to the phone, not SIM or provider. When your phone registers on the network with a new provider it will send its IMEI to the provider, which (I think) will check against the database of black-listed IMEIs and decide whether or not to provide service.

          Thus the provider will be able to see the IMEI linked with a certain phone number and would be able to tell you (whether or not they will tell you without making you jump through hoops is unknown to me.)

          Phones where you can remove the battery pack will generally have the IMEI written on the label underneath the battery.

        • lplau on 18/03/2015 - 08:04

          @jzdhgkd: on iPhones I think the imei is engraved on the SIM card tray.

        • urzu on 19/03/2015 - 00:37
          +2

          @lplau: You can also see your IMEI by typing *#06#

        • xsacha on 19/03/2015 - 02:00

          @inherentchoice: Yep, your provider will have IMEI's registered on their network. You only need to tell them the phone number you were using.

          Lost phones are so commonplace nowadays, you just call up your provider and tell them your phone is lost and they do all that for you.

        • inherentchoice on 19/03/2015 - 08:48

          @xsacha: But apparently there is no point because my phone got stolen overseas anyway.

        • Parentheses on 21/03/2015 - 00:58

          @lplau:

          It's also readily available in Settings->General->About.

        • Dollarsandsense on 21/03/2015 - 23:25

          @inherentchoice: things may have changed in the 10 years since I worked for optus but we could only block imei nos if they were on the system. If you set up a new contract with a new phone that imei no would be on the system. If you switched phones optus wouldn't automatically update the imei on their records. Therefore you may block the wrong imei no if ur not careful.

    • Axelstrife on 17/03/2015 - 18:16

      I bought a galaxy s3 off ebay years ago which turned out to be carriers blocked the guy didnt have the money to refund me so he ignored paypal and i got my money back and got to keep the device.
      i sold it on ebay for parts for $320

      So almost worthless is an understatement.

      • m2000 on 17/03/2015 - 22:24

        Yes, my understanding is the IMEI (Black-listed data) is only used by Local providers, I may be wrong… So the phone can still be used overseas

        • lplau on 18/03/2015 - 08:05

          That's correct. The phone can still be used overseas until they introduce a world wide block list.

    • neonlight on 18/03/2015 - 10:26

      IMEI blocking? Its useless for criminals exporting to overseas. It can only be blocked within Aus, it doesn't stop them.

      • chipstss on 18/03/2015 - 19:13
        +1

        I think IMEI can be spoofed too.

    • Kozhutki on 20/03/2015 - 21:19

      There's somewhat of a market for imei blocked phones, since they can be used overseas without a worry.

  • mskeggs on 17/03/2015 - 18:09
    +3

    I just wait for somebody to call saying 'have you got my phone?'

    • xoom on 17/03/2015 - 18:37
      +11

      Found a ringing phone on the ground on my way home one day. Answered it and found the owner not far away. Met the guy returned the phone. He wanted to give me money for it. I refused.

      • ATangk on 17/03/2015 - 20:06
        +9

        The next poll…
        If you found a phone left behind, were capable of returning it to its owner, and he offers you money-
        Would you accept the money?
        Would you decline the money?
        Would you counteroffer with free drinks/food instead?

        • zeomega on 17/03/2015 - 22:41
          +10

          I would counter offer with food/drinks if it was a cute girl, if not… meh.

        • ATangk on 17/03/2015 - 23:02

          @zeomega: Prob shoulda wrote he/she then.

        • goraygo on 18/03/2015 - 20:41

          @zeomega: agreed. Only cute girl. :)

      • AussieGargain on 18/03/2015 - 13:37
        +1

        I'd keep money because good behaviours/people should be rewarded. I'd give money if someone helped me.

      • arcticmonkey on 19/03/2015 - 07:45

        Great stuff.

        I lost my phone in Adelaide (it bounced out of my bike) and people were nice enough to wait for me.

        I also found a phone on a train once and luckily the owner rang it. I ended up going back to the city to give it back.

        It's a big inconvenience losing a phone so Id always do the right thing.

  • iridiumstem on 17/03/2015 - 18:15
    +21

    I have this thing where if I do something wrong, it bothers me to an extent that I feel compelled to fix it. I'd always give it to the authority or the person who've lost it because I know that the "gain" from keeping it would never be greater than the loss I get from keeping it (in this case, peace of mind).

    Digressing a bit, but I don't think your question will get you a valid result because people tend to lie (consciously or unconsciously) about things if it goes against the norm, in this case "stealing is bad".

    • Windows7forever on 17/03/2015 - 18:33
      +1

      I'm hoping the relative anonymity of the internet will allow people to be truthful with their answer but I get your point about the 'sheep mentality' and fear of getting chastised for having a different opinion to others. Although it's good to see majority of people are (perceived to be) 'good'.

      • iridiumstem on 17/03/2015 - 19:53
        +3

        I am going to digress slightly more. I don't think this poll would create any valid data other than people's response on you question, i.e. extrapolating from this to real life would not work. The reasons are following:

        1. Real life situation is different from what you see here.
          People actually act less "anonymous" than you'd think in online situation, especially when you have system like this. So it's likely to affect the results we see.

        2. Norm doesn't necessary mean "sheep mentality", it simply means socially accepted beliefs and behaviours. If I go around naked in the street, would you argue that people getting shocked/acting to stop me an act of "sheep mentality"? In a way, you are saying sheep mentality as a bad thing, which is also following a norm of valuing individualism in Western culture.

        3. It is accepted fact that stealing is bad, therefore admitting that you will steal or can steal creates negative self image which people naturally try to avoid. Therefore as this poll gives no incentives to create this negative self image, it's likely that unconsciously we are going to respond in a postive way. The real behaviour you'd see in real life would differ from this poll.

        • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:32

          People can vote without commenting which will preserve their anonymity. They can also comment contrary to their vote (we won't know that) expounding the virtues of not stealing("stealing is bad blah blah") and thus keeping their reputation in check(even if it is quite deceitful).
          As we can observe there are 6/138 that would maybe or definitely take the phone. This just got interesting :)

        • iridiumstem on 18/03/2015 - 10:23

          @wolfenator87: When I said less anonymity than you'd think, what I meant was this. I remember reading an article in 2011 (I hate assignments) about how people identifies themselves with identity of their online identity, in this case ID/nickname we go by, to more degree than people think they would. That is all I meant by it.

          I was simply getting the gist that this poll was similar to how you would likely not be able to get informations about bystander effect with self reports/polls.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 17/03/2015 - 23:09

      Exactly, my clear conscience and lack of anxiety about my liberty are worth way more than a few hundred smackaroos.

      But if I found a few hundred thousand in cash…

      • iridiumstem on 17/03/2015 - 23:22
        +2

        If I find that much cash on the ground, I will probably try to stay away from it and call the police. Who knows where that money came from.

        • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:34
          -2

          Maybe someone put it in an orifice and it is infected with AIDS?

        • iridiumstem on 18/03/2015 - 19:45
          -1

          @wolfenator87: Even if I become desperate for money, I'd not touch aids money. ;)

    • SlickMick on 18/03/2015 - 09:32

      I'm really surprised that the ozbargain community tends to give the "correct answer" in these sorts of proposals.
      I must have an evil heart. My first reaction is to seize an opportunity, and I have to fight that with "I don't want to be that guy".

  • Natt on 17/03/2015 - 18:39
    +2

    I would definitely return it. Aside from the $ value far more important is the data on the phone. Can you imagine if it were you phone how you would feel.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2015 - 18:41
    +11

    I had this situation come up several years ago IRL. I was walking towards a supermarket entrance, and spotted a brand new iPhone. Obviously someone had misplaced theirs. I quickly grabbed it to take to the store's customer service desk (which was mere feet away) when the person I was with at the time tried to stop me, saying it was "worth at least [whatever] hundred bucks".

    I handed it in. Friend was pissed off. I don't speak to that person any more :)

    (not over the phone incident, but that event alone is quite telling of the kind of person they were, and why I wasn't too fond of their company for long..)

    The way I see it is - if it was my phone/valuable/whatever, I'd appreciate it if the finder to handed it in. If you want to live in a world where people choose to help each other rather than opt for greed/self-gain via the unfair loss of others… then it's probably best to lead by a sort of example (though it wouldn't be overt / for acknowledgment, it would be something more of a personal psychological thing, like appeasing the conscience, knowing you do good and that good will spread; rather than doing bad and that having a flow on effect to others… chain reaction sorta thing…)

  • noyesmaybeok on 17/03/2015 - 18:52
    +31

    Define humanity:
    - 99% of people say would return
    - Yet nowhere near 99% of people would ever get their missing phone back

    • gimli on 18/03/2015 - 21:59
      -1

      It wouldn't be missing if they got it back.

    • ChatCPT on 20/03/2015 - 09:35
      -1

      ozbargain is full of those rare people who say and will return it!

  • cypher67 on 17/03/2015 - 18:56

    Happens at my work all the time, people leaving phones in meeting rooms. I know it isnt quite the same as we are all on the same team, but I treat it like a mystery and try solve whose it is before the call it. No point keeping it, most phones and carriers can lock the phone remotely and then it becomes a brick. Would rather makes someones day and restore peoples faith in humanity.

    • ATangk on 17/03/2015 - 20:08

      And have some fun whilst doing so, right?

    • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:38

      That's a different context entirely as it is in a private workplace environment. Surely your colleagues wouldn't steal from each other? Maybe from the company but that's a different issue entirely ;)

  • ShamelessBargains on 17/03/2015 - 19:21
    +1

    I think this a very important life lesson. Its hard to gauge your reaction unless it has actually happened. Its a bit like finding $100 on the ground. Personally I would hand it in due to the guilt I will feel in keeping it. It did belong to someone and I hope other people would do the same if it was my money/mobile phone.

    The sad thing is that people don't think of the repercussions when they pick up money or "keep" a phone. It's not their possession and they technically are breaking the law and stealing it. It comes down to a case of ethics and whether you believe "finders keepers" makes the situation ethical.

    • leonheart1 on 17/03/2015 - 19:27
      +6

      Phones can be easily traced and returned to their owners. Money is different. Besides, chances are the cops/authority would keep it themselves.

  • crosseyes on 17/03/2015 - 19:32
    +2

    Came on a train about 2 months ago, and there was a phone just sitting there across from me. Called up the last called number (owner's wife) and managed to return it the next day

  • c64 on 17/03/2015 - 19:33
    +1

    i've done it before. cycling & found a phone on the road. handed it in a police station.

  • Colombian on 17/03/2015 - 19:46

    What difference does it make whether is a mobile phone or a wallet? I would turn it in. Last week I found a wallet at TAFE and took it to security.

  • anna10 on 17/03/2015 - 20:12

    No, I would not take reward money. Yes, I would hand it in to an authority. I do it that way because I like to support the idea of community.

  • RockyRaccoon on 17/03/2015 - 20:16

    Hand it in - gotta be joking, they lost it.

    Call them and have them pick it up.

    If they dont then it's ok to keep it.

    As for reward - it's your choice, but if you dont want it maybe suggest a shared scratchy, or a donation to Vanuatu disaster appeal.

  • anna10 on 17/03/2015 - 20:28
    +2

    If the phone is locked how do you contact them?

    • Logical on 17/03/2015 - 23:01
      +2

      hopefully the screen saver shows their email or phone number…. mine does.

    • tyvod on 17/03/2015 - 23:18

      Siri or voice command

    • Capone on 18/03/2015 - 17:41

      My Note 3 has emergency contacts which have my parents and siblings' phone numbers.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2015 - 20:48
    +3

    A phone? I would definitely return it because it has far too much data for someone to be without. It's not just contacts and messages. It can have work, health data, financial details etc.

    I would return everything because everyone has always returned my items and I remember how wonderful it felt to receive my lost goods.

  • Cheeper on 17/03/2015 - 20:48
    +5

    Definitely return it.
    The same for a wallet, camera, or anything that you find.
    A better world starts with you.
    What would you like to happen with your lost goods?
    Being the human race there will always be scum low life types.

    • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:42
      +1

      I'm gonna play devil's advocate for a second and suggest that perhaps sometimes people need to learn a 'hard lesson' in order to be more careful of their possessions in the future and take good care of their belongings?
      I warned the girl to "take good care of her phone" because not everyone is as honest as I am and an S5 is a highly prized phone in the black market.

      • Cheeper on 18/03/2015 - 11:04

        Spot on!
        Some people are just downright careless and think it wont happen to them, they almost encourage theft.
        Thieves are always around and they don't always look like you think they would.

  • Davo1111 on 17/03/2015 - 21:08

    An IMEI block should render the device useless in Australia. Why would you want a brick?

    Even if you can bypass it, do the right thing

  • orangehighlight on 17/03/2015 - 21:29
    +5

    Had this situation happen to me. Owner's sister called and then the owner did. Handed in a iPhone 4S with a Marc Jacobs case (another $40 there) and got $20 reward.

    That was on January. Still feel like I did the right thing. I'll remember handing it in forever, versus looking at a phone that I know isn't mine and feeling bad.

    It really depends on what kind of person you are. Some people can take easily, others can't.

    I feel like a phone is different from cash or other things - it has the owners life, identity and world on it. Their close friends contacts, photos, etc.

    Most phones when they're lost don't get returned. All I know is that I would want my phone returned to me.

    • Baghern on 17/03/2015 - 22:08
      +4

      yep returned a really old cheap phone to some kid at a music festival a while back. The phone isn't the big deal its whats on its thats most important

      • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:46

        They say if you are prone to losing your phone frequently or are absent minded with your possessions then you should invest in a $20 brick phone because in the words of one owner > "nobody wants to take it, and it always comes back to me" :)

  • bluedufflecoat on 17/03/2015 - 21:46

    Ive handed in money I found at the ATM once… Gave the money back to the bank, and my ATM receipt, so in theory, they could trace the owner down…never heard anything since.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 17/03/2015 - 23:44

      So knowing what you do now, what would you have done if you could do it over?

      • bluedufflecoat on 18/03/2015 - 03:23
        +2

        I think I'm tempted not to, but would probably still return it to the bank. My integrity is worth more.

        • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:48

          You would have been caught on CCTV anyway. Happened a few years back when the ATM's were malfunctioning at a particular bank and spitting out cash like confetti.

        • bluedufflecoat on 18/03/2015 - 09:28

          @wolfenator87: not sure… This was at an ATM at the train station…

        • Tnetennba on 19/03/2015 - 03:22

          @amelyn: I'm pretty sure almost every modern ATM has a camera embedded in it, even if the ATM doesn't have different CCTV coverage. I might be wrong, but I think it gives a good face-shot when you use it.

  • PVA on 17/03/2015 - 22:01
    +6

    I found a samsung s4 on the road on a roundabout a year ago. I was driving around and saw it on the road. I am guessing it slide off someones dashboard with out them noticing. It was locked so I couldnt call but just kept it at home for a few hours waiting for it to call. eventually someone called and I dropped it off to them.
    They gave me $20 for my trouble which was good cos I wasnt expecting anything.

    • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:48

      That's a heartwarming story.

      • PVA on 18/03/2015 - 10:13

        Yes, yes it is.
        Actually, it was on the road, lucky it wasn't run over as it's a busy street.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2015 - 22:55
    +2

    OP, after the initial contact you had with her, I would have forwarded a photograph of a nice, toasted-edge, Treasure Map. I would then have buried the phone in an empty RRRuffles chip packet. That, I believe, is the right thing to do.

    Seriously…
    When I was about eight, my Dad, on one of his overseas trips, bought me a beautiful handmade wallet of a design unlike anything I've seen since.
    I preceded to lose it. Despite my name being inside, it was never returned. :(
    Still getting over it.

    Incidentally, and around the same time, I dropped some fairyfloss in the dirt, hence suffering the very worst kind of loss - fairyfloss loss.

    Scarred for Lyf. Taking one day at a time.

    • noyesmaybeok on 17/03/2015 - 23:02
      +2

      http://i.imgur.com/iqgIIwN.gif

    • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:53

      Nah, she was a busy uni student and just heading off to class, so no time for fun and games unfortunately.
      Ouch! I never lost anything as I child. I was like little Golem walking around with my precious walkman cassette player and my Gameboy pocket in the mid-90's. Nobody could put their hands on my precious stuff.

  • zealmax on 17/03/2015 - 23:05
    +3

    Found an iPhone at an amusment park. Wasn't locked, went through the recently called numbers. Called and the GF of the owner picked up. Waited 20 mins to give them the iPhone. Not worth the guilt trip.

    • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:54
      +3

      Yeah, it wouldn't have been very amusing for the owner if he lost his phone at an amusement park.

      • mthucs on 18/03/2015 - 18:55

        Sympathy green.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2015 - 23:11
    +28

    A couple of years ago I found a Samsung Galaxy when they were still fairly new, just sitting on a seat of the train as I got off. Picked it up, and of course it wasn't locked so I rang "Mum" after driving home.

    "Hey, I just found your son or daughter's phone on the train"
    "Oh right, can you drop it off to my house, I live in Nundah, you ready for the address?"
    "Sorry, I live in Thornlands, it was left on the Cleveland train, and now I've already driven home"
    "That's not too far, just hop back on the train and leave it with the Nundah station people, and I'll pick it up the next day"
    "No, sorry I'm not going to go that much out of my way for you, it would be about 90 minutes on the train or an hour driving, you haven't even said thanks or please yet. Here is my address, I'll leave it in a sealed plastic bag behind my left gate, feel free to collect whenever"
    "Wow, thanks for being lazy, you could at least mail it to me"

    Couple of days later it was collected, and no thanks or anything. The gate had been forced open (one of those gates with a latch that you have to reach over the top to open), so my thanks for being honest was rudeness/curtness on the phone and $15~ for a new gate latch.

    Still would be honest in future, but some people just don't deserve decency.

    • donedeed on 18/03/2015 - 00:05
      +7

      Seriously? Wow… i'm lost for words.
      I think I would be so reluctant to even return the phone at that point.
      That person seriously didn't deserve the phone to be returned.

      • [Deactivated] on 18/03/2015 - 17:12
        +7

        The way I saw it was that even though the mother is rude and ungrateful, the son/daughter shouldn't have to suffer losing the phone because of it. Can't pick your family :)

    • chengjianer on 18/03/2015 - 00:19

      Umm ok..

      Let me tell you, that phone deserves someone better, like you!!! :)

    • Tal_Shiar on 18/03/2015 - 03:50
      +6

      people like that give you that vibe should never get access to your address, I would of told them, I will contact you when i have time to drop it off at the nearest police station so you can pick it up and given them a serve for their lack of manners…

    • Windows7forever on 18/03/2015 - 08:57
      +3

      That's a really pathetic and disgusting bogan attitude. No gratitude for your honesty and a completely unfounded sense of entitlement and expectation on the mother's part. I probably would have just thrown it in the bin after that convo.

    • skillet on 18/03/2015 - 09:07

      This type of person must be seeing the middle finger everyday.

    • ferguscan on 18/03/2015 - 09:22
      +2

      That's hilarious. After copping that attitude, you should have put the phone back where you found it, and walked away.

    • 2ndeffort on 18/03/2015 - 12:38
      +3

      Wow Boney, after the first couple of answers I was thinking your next sentence should be:

      'unfortunately it has a cracked screen'

    • chipstss on 18/03/2015 - 19:23

      "thats not too far"

      LOL!

  • tyvod on 17/03/2015 - 23:12

    Personally I would try to hand it in to the owner than just hand it to the cops. Police won't do much about it with lost phones unless owners walk in to that police station that you handed in. They are too 'busy' with more profitable works.
    And with locked phones, just use Siri or voice command and say something like 'call mum/home'. Easy

  • subroc on 17/03/2015 - 23:37

    Although not a phone, I did find a diamond ring once in a shopping centre. I just handed it in to the information booth and promptly forgot about it the next day. The only time it entered my mind again was a while ago when my friends and I were comparing lost & found stories. My story was a little short heh.

  • chengjianer on 18/03/2015 - 00:11

    What would you do if you find a $100 note on the floor at your workplace??? :)

    Would you ask if it's your colleagues??? hahaha…

    It did happen to me before.

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