The Find My App, Police, and a Not-So-Smooth Criminal Incident
My holiday was briefly ruined when my iPhone appeared to be lost and then stolen. As I was getting over my despair, things took a dramatic turn and the stars aligned. With the use of the Find My app and the watchful eye of the police, I was able to get my iPhone back. Most importantly, I was fortunate to deal with an unsophisticated thief – the kind who would try to pick a pocket… and accidentally hand over his own wallet. Here is my story of redemption.
Goodbye Phone
The day after Christmas, I begrudgingly agreed with my wife to go to Stanford Shopping Center, so she could make a few returns – not intended returns. After visiting numerous stores, I opted for a quick break and sat on a bench right outside the Alo store. While awaiting my wife, I received a text message and read it. Then I put my phone on my lap or in my back pocket—I don’t quite recall.
Shortly thereafter, my wife and mother-in-law met me outside and we continued on our way to a restaurant – we walked no more than four minutes. Just before being seated, I did the familiar check of my back pocket to grab my phone. Weird—nothing there. I checked all of my pant pockets. “That’s not good, maybe I put it in my jacket pocket,” I thought. Oh no, it wasn’t there either. My phone was gone – panic set in.
I asked my wife to call my phone. It rang once, and then someone sent the call to voicemail. My heart sank, but I momentarily held out hope that the person with my phone had accidentally sent the call to voicemail. Deep down, I knew this wasn’t going to end well. My wife called my phone again. The phone was now off. F*ck! My phone was in the possession of a thief.
Fortunately, an Apple Store was nearby, so my wife and I ran there while our kids stayed behind with my in-laws. The manager on duty was empathetic and suggested I use one of the store’s computers to log in to my iCloud account and use the Find My app to locate my phone. Unfortunately, my phone was off, and its location wasn’t visible—it was listed as “offline.” Next, I tried to put my phone in “Lost Mode,” but I couldn’t complete the process because it required an authentication code (which was being sent to my powered-off phone that was with someone else). The Apple Store manager then advised me to call Apple Support at 800-MY-APPLE.
The 800-MY-APPLE representative was amazing. After answering several security questions, she confirmed my phone had been successfully put in “Lost Mode.” Now, if the phone was turned on, the person in possession of it would have no access and would only see a pop-up prompting them to call the callback number I provided. One problem solved!
Next, I called mall security and inquired into obtaining security footage. The head of security stated she can release security footage once I have a police report. I figured if the thief turned on my phone and I knew its location, I would then file a police report to obtain the footage.
Replacement Phone
Fortunately, I have smartphone insurance through Asurion – approximately $12.50 a month per phone. While still at the mall, I called Asurion and made a claim. After answering a few questions, the customer service rep stated that a new phone would be delivered to my house between 5 and 7 PM. I did have to pay the $275 deductible (that would show up on my next ATT bill), but a replacement phone (same model) was on the way. Asurion delivered – I had my replacement phone in hand by 6 PM. Impressive, I had a replacement phone within five and a half hours after my phone was stolen.
Plot Twist
I sat in our living room and began the process of transferring all my data from the iCloud to my new phone. Suddenly, I heard my wife’s voice, who was not home, over our security living room camera speaker. She exclaimed “[c]all me, the guy who stole your phone has it.” I ran to my iPad to call her on FaceTime. When I opened my iPad, my phone’s location was visible on the Find My app – the phone was in East Palo Alto, 1.5 miles away from Stanford Shopping Center. I could see the path my phone traveled from the mall to a residential address.
Once I got in touch with my wife, she informed me that a man had called her and abruptly asked if she wanted to pick up my phone or if he should drop it off somewhere. He also mentioned that he had planned to give the phone to mall security but “forgot.” When my wife asked why he turned off the phone earlier, he had no response. My wife told him she needed to discuss everything with me before making any decisions. Subsequently, he texted her his name and said he worked at Lululemon in the mall. At this point, we couldn’t tell if he was setting us up for something or if he was simply a really bad thief.
I wondered… Was the would-be thief suddenly overcome with holiday spirit and decided to spread some cheer? Did guilt weigh on his conscience? Or did he simply lack the courage to go through with it? My guess is he realized he couldn’t access the phone and started worrying about being tracked down, prompting him to play the role of a good Samaritan.
I called the Palo Alto Police Department for advice on how to proceed. They explained that officers could assist with a phone exchange and advised me to call them 10 minutes prior to the scheduled meeting. Following their guidance, my wife messaged the now “good Samaritan” and asked him to meet us at the Alo store to return my phone. However, he refused and instead requested that we meet him at Chipotle – most likely outside the view of the security cameras where he picked up my phone.
The Exchange
As we arrived at the mall the following day, I started to feel a bit nervous. I called the Palo Alto police to let them know I was meeting someone for a phone exchange in front of Chipotle. My wife and I decided to wait at the Alo store while keeping an eye out for both the police and the person with my phone. We tried to play it cool, but the tension was palpable. I awkwardly leaned against a rack of jackets, pretending to wait for my wife to shop, while my wife paced back and forth, pointing out random men walking by the window and accusing each one of being the thief.
At 1 PM, I received a call from a police officer asking my whereabouts. I asked if we could meet a short distance from Chipotle, so we did not scare away the phone thief. The officer was annoyed at my idea and told me to hurry to Chipotle. After meeting the police officer, he asked me what happened. I explained the situation. He was surprised to find out I had the thief’s number and demanded it. I mentioned my concern that he might scare off the thief, but he ignored me and called the number.
Someone answered, and the officer introduced himself as a member of the Palo Alto Police Department, asking where the “good Samaritan” was. I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but it seemed the individual was questioning why the police were involved. After a brief back-and-forth, the officer firmly stated, “Look, this guy needs his phone, and I want to go home. Where are you?”
There was a pause, and then the officer, sounding surprised, said, “Behind us?”
We turned around to see a car parked directly behind us at the curb. A man, probably in his mid to late twenties, stepped out of the driver’s side, reached across the roof of his car, and handed me my phone. And just like that, a stressful and exciting 24 hours ended with me getting phone back.
Takeaway
A few takeaways for me from the incident:
- If your phone is lost or stolen, don’t give up, you may be able to get it back.
- The Find My app is a lifesaver.
- My wife and I should never, under any circumstances, be trusted with a stakeout.