Bought used iPhone 4, couple questions...

[PUREKDM]

hey everyone, it's been a while since I've been on here. I just bought a used iPhone 4 from a friend and I have a feeling it's stolen. It has a passcode on it and he has no clue what it is. If I just put my sim card in it, hook it up to iTunes, can I bypass that or did I just buy a super expensive paper weight? Thanks in advance everyone!

[DPancoast]

you may be able to hook it up with your sim card in it and restore it... otherwise, you may be screwed

[Willdue]

if its stolen and you connected it to itunes, on a computer that has internet, apple will track it back to you if it was reported.

[Meeshell]

not trying to be a smart ass, but did you try really obvious passcodes? ie: 1234, 4321, 0000, etc? or asked the person who sold it to you what it is?

idk if you've had an iphone with a passcode before but can you tell if it's the regular Apple passcode screen (number pad looking) or the version that would appear on an iPhone that someone jail broke (bubbles that you enter in a sequence)? if it's the regular Apple screen, you may be able to talk to AT&T if your friend can't help you out. if it's jail broken... idk what kind of help you can get.

[Saab93Aero]

Originally Posted by Willdue

if its stolen and you connected it to itunes, on a computer that has internet, apple will track it back to you if it was reported.

This^^

But.... You can also just continue to try the pass code and once you fail 5 or more times, it restores the phone to the factory settings, then you should be set to go.

So just keep typing the pass code untill it restores the phone automatically, then hook it up to iTunes.

And if you don't want to try it, for the possibility of it being stolen and you being the one to get caught with it..... I'll take it off your hands I need a nice paper weight....

[jpalamar]

Why the **** would you buy a phone from your friend that is locked and might be stolen... then post a thread on the internet about it.

[PUREKDM]

well he went on deployment and wanted to get rid of it, i got it for a really good price and if the cops break down my door looking for it, i'll hand it to them, not that big of a deal. I spent like 30 minutes on the google machine and found instructions to restore to factory settings. Did that, went to an att store, got a mini sim card for it, data plan, and now i'm in business. just connected it to itunes and i guess i'll continually check my mail for my arrest warrant.

[Willdue]

if they did all that for you, yoir good jordan

[OMGz Turbo]

chances are it would never show stolen, simply because att/apple know people buy them really cheap and resell them at a higher price.

All you had to do was put it in either DFU or recovery mode and it would have made the phone restore. sorry i didnt get in here sooner

[~Brian~]

If you are really unsure, just go to an Apple store and have them scan the phone then check to see if it was stolen. Call AT&T and have them do the same.

[OMGz Turbo]

Originally Posted by ~Brian~

If you are really unsure, just go to an Apple store and have them scan the phone then check to see if it was stolen. Call AT&T and have them do the same.

It really don't make a damn bit of difference..

Seriously? I mean im not one to say oh i hope he got a stolen iphone, but as far as we care he got it from a friend...that works for me

[~Brian~]

Originally Posted by OMGz Turbo

It really don't make a damn bit of difference..

If he wasn't concerned about it, then I doubt he would have made this thread.

[OMGz Turbo]

Originally Posted by ~Brian~

If he wasn't concerned about it, then I doubt he would have made this thread.

He made the thread because it was locked with a passcode and needed to get around it....

[~Brian~]

Originally Posted by PUREKDM

I just bought a used iPhone 4 from a friend and I have a feeling it's stolen.

Originally Posted by OMGz Turbo

He made the thread because it was locked with a passcode and needed to get around it....

If its stolen and he registers it through iTunes or tries to activate it through AT&T, he could have problems..

Think before you post....

[OMGz Turbo]

Originally Posted by ~Brian~

If its stolen and he hooks it up to iTunes or tries to activate it through AT&T, he could have problems..

Think before you post....

Not true at all, But YOU RIGHT. ATT doesn't give a ****, the person that lost the phone has to buy another phone..and the person who "found" the iphone now has to add a data plan to they're phone..either way ATT is making MORE money.

[~Brian~]

Originally Posted by OMGz Turbo

Not true at all, But YOU RIGHT. ATT doesn't give a ****, the person that lost the phone has to buy another phone..and the person who "found" the iphone now has to add a data plan to they're phone..either way ATT is making MORE money.

Yeah, you're right. It is not at all illegal to possess stolen property and use it for yourself. And AT&T is not required to act when property reported stolen by one customer is being used by another person...

[PUREKDM]

Originally Posted by ~Brian~

Yeah, you're right. It is not at all illegal to possess stolen property and use it for yourself. And AT&T is not required to act when property reported stolen by one customer is being used by another person...

this got off topic pretty quick but I worked at Tmobile for about a year and it is SUPER easy to find out IF a "stolen" phone is being used by another person and WHO they call, text, their address, their social security number and so on...problem is, there is no way to know if the phone was "stolen" or "sold" so people can report all they want, but the service provider can't do a darn thing other than tell the victim to file a police report. Although, I can admit I have personally used my "tmobile detective skills" to tell a friend the phone number, name and address of someone who ACTUALLY stole their phone.*

*things may be different between every other data device (i.e. blackberry, htc, android...) and iPhones or laws may have changed since I left tmobile