Stolen iPhone - can I identify wifi SSID remotely?

[simon43]

This topic can be moved to the internet/phone thread, but I've initially posted it in General so that the topic title remains in General, for greater audience.

Last week, a Chinese tourist had their iPhone stolen from their previous hotel. As a TPV, I helped them to file a police report, but with little hope of finding the phone, since it was switched off/not traceable using the icloud Find My Phone service. The hotel owner denied knowledge of the phone.

These tourists were very upset (many family photos etc on their lost phone), and they have returned to China. Buyt before they left, vthey gave me their icloud log-in details and I promised to return their missing phone if the Tourist Police could find it.

Today, 4 days after they left, the phone has suddenly come to life! It is not at the hotel location where they 'lost' it, so it is safe to assume that someone has removed it from the hotel.

I can see the phone's current location from icloud. It is about 500 metres from their previous hotel.

Is there any way to remotely identify the SSID of the wifi hotspot that the phone is connecting to? That might help to track it to a specific guesthouse (no guesthouse name is shown on the iCloud or Google maps - it could be private rooms).

Any other suggestions?

For obvious reasons, I do not want to alert the person with the iPhone by setting off the audio alert, at least not until they are in the presence of the police...

Simon

[Chicog]

Well realistically it's probably within 50ft of the wifi it's connected to, so assuming GPS is turned on, get down there and eyeball people using iphones in the vicinity.

Wait until it moves and see who moves with it.

Hey Presto.

[phazey]

get close to it and then you can set off an alarm remotely.

[simon43]

get close to it and then you can set off an alarm remotely.

That's the plan. Assuming the GPS triangulation is reasonably good, I have located it inside a specific hotel bungalow. I'm just liaising with the police to visit the hotel, switch on the phone alarm remotely, and then kick sh*t out of the thief.....

[SDM0712]

, and then kick sh*t out of the thief.....

Reminds me of the good old SPG, is that officer savage ?

SDM

[davejonesbkk]

Lost a few phones myself over the years in Thailand and have an iPhone myself now it will be interesting to see how this pans out, do keep us update

[Chicog]

We want photos or preferably video.

Want to see the look on the scumbag's face!

[wooloomooloo]

I'm just liaising with the police to visit the hotel, switch on the phone alarm remotely, and then kick sh*t out of the thief.....

Hmm, and how do you know that the person in possession of the phone is the thief?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[PiPiFFS]

I only have a semi smart phone A decent enough phone that does all i need it to do. A Samsung GT something or other. When I got it I installed ' Lookout " Free from the Google play site. It backs up my data and contacts as well as scans all apps for viruses. Evidently they have added a new feature to it lately. For the first time in a long time I ran out of battery and the phone turned off. When I got home I had received an email from Lookout with a Google map location of where the phone was when it switched off. it was very accurate indeed to my surprise. Having a better look at it you can do a lot more than I have been using it for.

Well impressed

[Chicog]

I'm just liaising with the police to visit the hotel, switch on the phone alarm remotely, and then kick sh*t out of the thief.....

Hmm, and how do you know that the person in possession of the phone is the thief?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

That's for the old bill to sort out.

[simon43]

Hmm, and how do you know that the person in possession of the phone is the thief?

I'll ask them that afterwards

[phazey]

get close to it and then you can set off an alarm remotely.

That's the plan. Assuming the GPS triangulation is reasonably good, I have located it inside a specific hotel bungalow. I'm just liaising with the police to visit the hotel, switch on the phone alarm remotely, and then kick sh*t out of the thief.....

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

FWIW I use iCloud along with preyproject.com on my devices - both work well as anti-theft & theft recovery tools.

[wooloomooloo]

I'm just liaising with the police to visit the hotel, switch on the phone alarm remotely, and then kick sh*t out of the thief.....

Hmm, and how do you know that the person in possession of the phone is the thief?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

That's for the old bill to sort out.

Before or after the 'thief' is beaten to a pulp that Simon so emphatically condones without a clue whether the suspect is guilty or not?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[lemonjelly]

make a vid of the arrest....... and I want award winning finger pointing na........

[simon43]

Actually as I continue to check on Google Maps etc, I found that Google Maps has the resort in the wrong location. Checking out the resort listing on sawadee.com and hotel photos, I now see that the phone is actually right at the hotel.

What's more, yesterday evening the phone went offline with a low battery. This morning - lo and held - the phone is back online from the hotel with a recharged battery.

Now where is my cricket bat? (joking of course...)

I'm waiting for the police investigation division to send a plain-clothes officer to the hotel, at which time they will call me to activate the phone alarm....

[keeniau96]

Pipiffss - Thx for the Lookout info, will be addining to my phone

[Crazy88]

Do not forget the Video

[SDM0712]

Can we all come down as spectators or part of a sting ? I'm not far from you I think and have an overcoat, hat and dark glasses.

It was something on Pulp Fiction, the quote is not relevant but the spirit of what JT said applied in this case, that it was almost worth the crime being committed so you could catch the thief red handed.

Personally I can't believe that anyone who wanted a iPhone wouldn't know of it's trackability. I wonder if it's been sold on already to hotel staff.

SDM

[astral]

Good luck and keep us posted on the result

Downloading Lookout for my Android as I write.

[lemonjelly]

What's the bet it's one of the cleaners........

[Chicog]

Come on Simon, don't keep us in suspense.

[RichCor]

Simon... Simon...

Oh no, I think they got Simon.

I knew we shouldn't have sent him in to get the maid without tactical support and a fully charged battery.

Anyone here skilled in Hostage Negotiations / Recovery / Extraction?

[lostinisaan]

get close to it and then you can set off an alarm remotely.

That's the plan. Assuming the GPS triangulation is reasonably good, I have located it inside a specific hotel bungalow. I'm just liaising with the police to visit the hotel, switch on the phone alarm remotely, and then kick sh*t out of the thief.....

Please reserve one kick for me, too.

[lostinisaan]

Can we all come down as spectators or part of a sting ? I'm not far from you I think and have an overcoat, hat and dark glasses.

It was something on Pulp Fiction, the quote is not relevant but the spirit of what JT said applied in this case, that it was almost worth the crime being committed so you could catch the thief red handed.

Personally I can't believe that anyone who wanted a iPhone wouldn't know of it's trackability. I wonder if it's been sold on already to hotel staff.

SDM

Personally I can't believe that anyone who wanted a iPhone wouldn't know of it's trackability. I wonder if it's been sold on already to hotel staff.

I'm just wondering how much the majority of Thai people know what these phones are capable of. Facebook and photo shooting....