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

  • sp3ctr41 on 19/03/2015 - 11:58
    +6

    *Found a purse on the train.
    *In it $200, a number and lots of cards/paper.
    *I called the number and asked for the person by name. Mother responded said she wasn't living here any more.
    *Got new address from mom.
    *Went to address and knocked.
    *She opened door and saw wallet.
    *Started crying and endless stream of thank yous.
    *She offered the entire $200 in the wallet to me claiming her stuff was much more valuable to her.
    *Felt wrong to take it.
    *Left feeling good for the rest of the week.

    • bin555 on 19/03/2015 - 12:17
      +2

      Good work mate. I don't think there is any other way. Actually me and my friend found $200 on ground ones. Contemplated what to do as it was significant amount while I was a uni. Ended up donating to charity who organize food for homeless. Sponsored entire day for them for all the meals.

      • sp3ctr41 on 19/03/2015 - 14:12
        +1

        The feeling of doing something good for another person without gaining something yourself is its own reward I don't regret declining her offer. In fact I would've felt guilty taking it.

  • intrasonic on 19/03/2015 - 12:59
    +1

    Found a samsung smartphone in the park while walking my dog. The battery still had charge so I used the owners facebook to contact his sister, who arranged for him to meet me at the park the next day. In addition to feeling good about helping another human being, I got a free(!) box of chocolates as a gift of grattitude =D

  • [Deactivated] on 19/03/2015 - 13:55

    I wouldn't be caught dead with a "valuable" Iphone.

  • DEvok on 19/03/2015 - 15:07

    Then how about those phones that got lost on trains and city rail trying to make a profit out of it isn't that illegal? It's still considered stolen.

  • akastyl13 on 19/03/2015 - 17:07
    +4

    Thanks Australia (or at least OzBargain) for confirming the image I have of Australia overall - honest and helpful people.
    I found 2 phones and returned both to their owners, texting the latest person text or the family person.

    I also found a wallet on Darling Harbour on a bench, looked at the ID, walked very fast along the water and actually found the owner.
    It was pretty fun as the guy was old business guy, and I was coming back from the beach with towel and flipflaps. THAT look when I said "Mr White?" "Yes..what do you want?" "Huu…I found your wallet on a bench, back there…" "Oh thank youuu!"
    10 Credit cards inside, all platinium or gold ! haha

    I am from Europe, France precisely and if I lose my phone, (profanity) it, it's gone.
    Also, I have crossed the path of many european who "Found" phones in Australia, trying to sell them to people to make money as they are in need.
    Hate these people.

    • Windows7forever on 20/03/2015 - 08:53

      Mr White probably thought you were a hit-man ;)

  • goosegog on 19/03/2015 - 17:37

    Random acts of kindness & honesty mean so much to both the giver & receiver.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/03/2015 - 17:45
    -1

    I actually found a Samsung s5 with no lock function on it (silly!) at a cafe the other day. The photo gallery contained naked pictures of his wife and many of him.

    I called "home" and spoke to the man who was extremely grateful. He came round and picked up the phone, but not before I uploaded the photos onto xhamster. It goes to show you need to be careful with your digital content and always lock your technology, as you never know what intentions people have out there.

    • jackary on 20/03/2015 - 04:48
      -1

      I really hope this is a joke..

    • Windows7forever on 20/03/2015 - 08:57

      So you tried to teach him a hard lesson by uploading the explicit photos to the internet?
      I don't think it was a good idea to do that and could potentially expose you to criminal liability.
      The long lasting humiliation and embarrassment of these photos in the public sphere can do far more damage than if he just lost the phone and never recovered it.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2015 - 15:38
        +1

        I don't think he'll/they'll ever hear of their existence online as I just checked my account and they haven't proven very popular

        • iridiumstem on 20/03/2015 - 15:44

          So your meaning of teaching a lesson involves invasion of privacy and uploading those personal photos online (which as far as I know is at least suable)?
          Sometimes people need a harsh lessons, but illegal behaviours like that is not an option, especially when it is irreversible (i.e. who knows how many people actually downloaded it).

        • Windows7forever on 20/03/2015 - 16:40

          @AznMitch: Let's assume his boss, colleagues, family and neighbors discover these pictures. It would be devastating for his reputation and could ruin his life. People have, and do commit suicide over these sorts of things. You should exercise more discretion next time and think carefully before you do something terribly stupid.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2015 - 17:08
          +1

          Well, in my defence, after logging into his facebook and twitter accounts and checking his messages, I believe I happened upon some incriminating evidence of my own. His unfaithfulness to his wife.

        • iridiumstem on 20/03/2015 - 17:22

          @Invidicus: So if the person is immoral, any illegal activities done to him like invasion of his privacy and uploading his personal photos is ok?

        • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2015 - 18:07
          +1

          Well, after checking his bank account using the westpac bank app on the phone, I can tell you that he hasn't been working very hard either, I believe him to be receiving centrelink benefits also.

          I think he needs to get his affairs in order, well, to stop having one in the first place…. and to spend that time looking for fulltime employment. Regardless, the content is up there now, and if you want a link then I'll pm you one.

        • jackary on 20/03/2015 - 18:12
          -1

          @Invidicus: PM me a link. I'm certain this is a troll.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2015 - 19:54

          I can't seem to find where the message function actually is on this site, if you can pm me then i'll reply to it.

  • bjdchwr on 19/03/2015 - 17:49
    +2

    I will definitely return it to the owner as someone did this for me in the past.

    I lost my wallet during one medical check and someone call my employer to let me know in 2012.

    Just months ago I found a wallet in the train station and I send it to Flinder St PTV staff (hundreds cash in the wallet).

  • kyin on 19/03/2015 - 19:01
    +1

    Was home alone when I heard someone's phone constantly ringing. Discovered that my mum had found a phone and decided to keep it. Was so disappointed at my mum for not turning it in. Next day I drove out 15 minutes to hand the phone into the reception of where the phone was found. Felt too ashamed to hand it back directly to the owner.

    Also found someone's car keys on the floor, right next to the car. This was outside a construction building so I asked the tradies if anyone lost their keys and yes they did.

    They didn't show a lot of gratitude but I felt so good about myself for turning it in :)

  • scarletshoes on 19/03/2015 - 21:06

    I always return everything I find as I hope people would do the same if they find something I lose. And guess what? There are some wonderful people in this world. This lovely couple drove to my address to hand me my purse and refused a reward. All my cards and cash (over $300) was still in it. I also once found a brand new and shiny iPhone (latest version at the time) in the ladies at an international airport a few years ago. I tried to hand it in to Lost Property at the airport but it was shut. As I was in a hurry to catch my connecting flight, I handed it to the guy at the security check-in, telling him to hand to Lost Property for me. Turning back, I saw him slip the phone in his pocket. I always wondered if he kept it or returned it!

    Speaking of cash - my friend found an unmarked envelope with a stack of $50 bills when we were out clubbing one night. There was over $2000 in it. She held on to it but went back to try and locate the owner by asking the clubs around the strip. Turned out it was the night's tips for a stripper! No, we didn't go into a strip club. She found it on the kerb outside! The stripper in question called her and told her to help herself to as many $50s as she wanted and to return the rest back to her at the strip club she works at. My friend only took 2x $50 and returned the rest. (And yes, it really did belong to the stripper as my friend did not disclose how much was in it and the stripper told her the exact amount over the phone). True story.

    • Windows7forever on 20/03/2015 - 09:01

      You could have returned a paper envelope, That's gotta be worth atleast 10 cents. $2000 in tips for a night's work stripping? Sounds more like a sex worker if you ask me. That's obscene money.

  • badonde on 19/03/2015 - 21:07

    Erm.. yes and have done a number of times.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/03/2015 - 21:27
    +1

    Happened to me in the past, going back a few years.

    bloke called me up said I have your phone.

    6 pack was given and I was happy to have my mobile back…. pay it forward I say.

    • Windows7forever on 20/03/2015 - 09:02

      He gave you sculpted abs of steel ? Personally, I'd prefer some beer ;)

      • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2015 - 20:45

        Chicks love abs, not kegs lol

  • nadan on 20/03/2015 - 00:04
    +2

    I found a wallet many years ago which had cash and a lot of cards, I took it to police station and they found the owner. She had offered $50 to be given to me and the police called to inform me about it but I said no thanks.

    A few months ago I had dropped my wallet with $600 cash in it as I was walking out of the post office to go to the bank. Someone picked it up and handed in at anz back, who rang me to say they had my wallet. When collecting the wallet all the cash had gone but the cards were left untouched. I reported to the police but they don't care.

    Moral of the story I would return it.

    • Windows7forever on 20/03/2015 - 09:06
      +3

      The person that nicked the cash probably abandoned the wallet and someone else who was a bit more honest came along and turned it in. It would be pretty dumb of the thief to steal the money and hand in an empty wallet with his finger prints all over it and his identity exposed.
      Moral of the story - don't walk around with $600 in your wallet.
      Sorry, I should be more sympathetic. I'd probably have nightmares if I lost that amount of money :(

      • nadan on 20/03/2015 - 10:50

        It was one of those days, I either wanted to go the bank first to deposit the cash or go to the post office to post an item and the go to the bank. I chose the later and once at the bank realized there was no wallet.

        That much cash was in the wallet because I had sold a camera the day before.

  • fab-i-o on 20/03/2015 - 02:41

    I worked at a phone shop. I used to get all sorts of new phones come in that we're lost and would go to quite extreme extents to give them back to their owners. If you have a locked iphone/phone we can always look up the account by the SIM card number or the phone imei and track the owner down from that. So please look at the SIM card and drop it into the store. I presume most staff at most major company owned retail stores wouldn't steal a phone ( I have never witnessed it)

  • berger on 20/03/2015 - 09:12

    i would be grateful if my phone was returned, i would easily pay $50-100 to have it back, and the reward for the finder would make them fell like they done a good job and they should be rewarded for it.

    I too, would hand a phone in, i found one in my garden bed years ago, cleaned up the old nokia and found it was my sisters friends, so it was returned, no reward, but the phone was basically shagged, powered on a bit and half a screen worked(been a few months)

    • Windows7forever on 20/03/2015 - 16:47

      The honest type of person that hands a phone in would likely not expect any reward, and certainly not a cash reward. I would be okay accepting a box of chocolates but would definitely feel uneasy taking any amount of cash as reward. A dishonest person would be more inclined to 'bargain' with the owner to arrange for return of the phone at a price(finder's fee) sort of like a ransom because his motivation is profit not benevolence.

  • Godric on 20/03/2015 - 17:16

    When i read this i impulsively said i would, so yes i absolutely would, even though chances of favor being returned are slim as it's happened with my wallet before and few other things that could had been returned :(

  • littleDealFish on 20/03/2015 - 18:06
    +2

    People are aight ;) reminds me of my wallet story:

    So whilst in Canada I was road trippin' from some town above Kamloops to Vancouver. Along the way we stopped at a mcdonalds. Once we hit vancouver i realised oh crap! i left my wallet behind, i was pretty devastated because it had my cash/cards for the trip.

    I called the Mcdonalds in a frantic attempt to find where it was. A customer in the toilets had handed it over to the staff. The manager of the mcdonalds then gave it to the Greyhound bus service going down to vancouver the next day. Greyhound depot in Vancouver called me to come in and pick it up. All cash still in the wallet, and i didn't even pay for postage to get it back for me lol

    Canadians are awesome :)

    I should also say, whenever i see a wallet or a phone i will track that owner down - i have some serious good karma to repay :)

  • secondstory on 20/03/2015 - 18:17
    +3

    I've returned wallets and phones before but most were all immediate finds where I saw the owner drop it while walking a head of me or leave it when they got up and walked away.
    One time in a busy shop a crowd when I noticed a wallet sitting on a shelf anyone who was there had already left. I ran around looking for people who looked like the photo on the drivers licence and found two that were close by. I'm bad at faces so I just tapped one on the shoulder and asked if "<persons name>" was their name. Got it right first try :)

    I almost left it there because I'm always afraid they will return to find it missing or I am mid way picking it up and get yelled at. I've had it happen to me once before in the past where there was absolutely noone nearby it at all so I went to pick it up and a lady came rushing over for it and it got ripped out of my hands and I got yelled at and accused of trying to steal it before I could even say anything. When I tried to explain, I got the "And just what exactly were you really planning to do with it?" before she threatened to call the police and stormed away. Was a long time ago.

  • aldog on 20/03/2015 - 22:56

    My good deed - I found an iPhone next to some gym equipment at a local park - took it home and it rang soon after. Answered the call and gave the person my address - turns out they lived down the road from me and were a uni student who came along with her mates to collect. Needless to say that they were extremely happy!

    On the other hand, I once came back from an overseas holiday and misplaced my passport. Phoned the consulate the next day when I noticed that it was missing after unpacking and they informed me that the cab driver that took me home had found it later on and then drove in to the consulate and handed it in! Very lucky there, that's for sure!

  • Geewhizz on 21/03/2015 - 07:43

    Someone I know lost her phone while out walking. It wasn't an expensive phone, but had all her children's photos on it (we won't go there lol.) She advertised everywhere she could think of for weeks, to no avail.

    She was shopping one day and was approached by a woman who recognised her child from the photos on the phone.

  • ChickenTalon on 21/03/2015 - 12:41

    Found a wallet the other day in Canberra.

    Bloody painful, tried calling the person and no answer, left messages. Then called the cops and they asked me to wait around while they tried to trace the owner. They couldn't get hold of them so told me I had to drive to the cop shop and drop it off. Took ages, plus I had to pay for parking, would be tempted to keep walking next time.

    Never heard from the owner

  • Onysius on 21/03/2015 - 14:01

    A couple of years ago, while overseas, I found an iPhone lying in the snow.
    It wasn't locked, the gallery was full of holiday photos, but it was all in Chinese Chicken Scratch characters which I can't read.
    Luckily for them, my girlfriend at the time was Chinese, and was able to leave them a message on their Facebook account, saying that the phone had been found, and where they could collect it from. Needless to say, they were very happy - they thought it was gone for good.

    Now, if I had no way on contacting the owner, because the phone was in a different language, would I have kept it?
    No, absolutely not; as it was a iPhone, and I have standards that I'm not prepared to lower THAT far.

  • voiletmay on 21/03/2015 - 14:10
    +1

    Yes, I do it regularly. I go for a 2 hour walk each morning and find phones regularly. I go straight to the police with it if I can't find the owner (if phone is broken). I normally have contacted the owner while still walking and they've normally come and collected it from me before I even get home. I found one two weeks ago and the girl was so happy (I also found her purse and lipstick) that she gave me $50.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/03/2015 - 14:10

    My workplace was in the middle of renovation, and so staff had to clear their desks, and if they didn't need something anymore, they can leave it.

    I picked up an old bag (left behind), but inside it there was a phone, with a sim card.

    …Still in my hands. Would like to keep the phone as it's very good, but it's got a SIM card. Not sure if the person intended to dump the phone along with the old bag. I'll take it to work on Monday and hand it to Lost and Found.

    But still guys, a phone has a unique IMEI code, which is transmitted when turned on, which can be tracked by police if it's reported missing. Or is this false…

  • tdw on 23/03/2015 - 16:22

    would never keep a phone i'd found. phones are a bastion of germs. blech

    • Windows7forever on 23/03/2015 - 22:56

      A wipe down with a baby wipe would kill most of the germs surely?

      • tdw on 24/03/2015 - 00:22

        just one baby wipe wouldn't be enough.

        after spending far too much time cleaning out old nokias and gameboys, it's disturbing how far inside dirt and grime get.

  • tonyjzx on 24/03/2015 - 11:12
    +1

    to me its a practical lazy thing

    i dont want to use someone elses phone

    it has their shit on it, their contacts, i bet they even used it facebooking on the toilet or worse

    yuck

    make a reasonable effort to find the person (call "Dad" etc.) or get it to the cops

  • Noragrets on 30/03/2015 - 23:49

    Last year in November, I was in new zealand with my friend clubbing. Two guys took my bag off me which had my phone in it and ran off. I lost hundreds of photos of my family which were irreplaceable. Photos of my nan who has passed, photos of my pets which passed a few months before hand. Baby photos etc. All of it was gone. I had no way to contact family in aus and they had all my bank cards etc. Blocked it all and never got it back. That sametc nugget, another girl had lost her phone. We both had samsung s4's. Someone brought her phone up to me thinking it was mine and I put it in my bag and kept looking for mine. 20 mins later I decided to give it back. I seen how upset she was and although I never got mine back and I was absolutely raging, I didn't want another girl to go through the same thing.

    Never got good karma from that. But hey, least one of us had a phone :/ I miss my s4 :(

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