Got a cell phone service/security question.

I lost my cell phone Sat. Sun, I suspended the service and reported the
loss. The cs rep I talked to said no activity had taken place through my
number during the window from when I lost the phone 'til when I reported it.

I will eventually get a replacement cell phone, and plan on reusing my old
number.

The question I have (this is where it gets dicey; I've asked this of the
cell service cs rep already. His reponse was not meaningful. We talked in
circles. I don' think he ever really understood what I was asking) is:

a. Once I get my replacement cell phone, and....

b. Have service under my old # reactivated.....

If someone comes into posession of my old phone, could he/she also use my
account when I'm also using it with my new phone?

It seems to me that there would have to be some unique characteristic of all
cell phones that enable the terminal eqpt to distinguish between them to
prevent such a thing. The cs reps I've talked to can't tell me this is the
case. They just keep repeating the mantra : with your new phone, you're
the only one who can use the account.

I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling about the capability of my cell service to
prevent someone out in the wild who recovers my lost phone from using it,
too, once I activate the same phone #.

Would appreciate words of wisdom on this concern.

RB wrote:
If someone comes into posession of my old phone, could he/she also
use my account when I'm also using it with my new phone?

Not if the phone has been disabled. Each phone has a unique serial
number ("ESN") and the ESN is verified for each inbound and outbound
call.

Each cell phone has a unique Electronic Serial Number (ESN) that is
checked/validated whenever a call is made. If the service provider has
indeed disabled your old phone, then the only calls allowed by it will be to
emergency services or the service provider (assuming these features are
enabled as they usually are in most applications).

In the event that the phone is found and returned, you would then be able to
have it re-enabled or have it programmed for a new service number.

Bob

"RB" wrote in message
...
Got a cell phone service/security question.

I lost my cell phone Sat. Sun, I suspended the service and reported the
loss. The cs rep I talked to said no activity had taken place through my
number during the window from when I lost the phone 'til when I reported
it.

If someone comes into posession of my old phone, could he/she also use my
account when I'm also using it with my new phone?

I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling about the capability of my cell service
to
prevent someone out in the wild who recovers my lost phone from using it,
too, once I activate the same phone #.

RB wrote:
Got a cell phone service/security question.

I lost my cell phone Sat. Sun, I suspended the service and reported the
loss. The cs rep I talked to said no activity had taken place through my
number during the window from when I lost the phone 'til when I reported it.

I will eventually get a replacement cell phone, and plan on reusing my old
number.

The question I have (this is where it gets dicey; I've asked this of the
cell service cs rep already. His reponse was not meaningful. We talked in
circles. I don' think he ever really understood what I was asking) is:

a. Once I get my replacement cell phone, and....

b. Have service under my old # reactivated.....

If someone comes into posession of my old phone, could he/she also use my
account when I'm also using it with my new phone?

It seems to me that there would have to be some unique characteristic of all
cell phones that enable the terminal eqpt to distinguish between them to
prevent such a thing. The cs reps I've talked to can't tell me this is the
case. They just keep repeating the mantra : with your new phone, you're
the only one who can use the account.

I don't get a warm fuzzy feeling about the capability of my cell service to
prevent someone out in the wild who recovers my lost phone from using it,
too, once I activate the same phone #.

Would appreciate words of wisdom on this concern.

Hi RB...

Set your fears aside; there's zero possibility of it being
used.

However, having said that I respectfully suggest that
you wait a week or two before replacing it if you can.
Thinking is that if it hasn't been mis-treated already,
then it's almost a certainty that it wasn't stolen, but
rather just misplaced.

In which case, the odds are pretty good that you may get
it back. Much better than buying a new one, even if you
do offer a token reward to the finder.

Just my two cents.

Ken

Thanks very much for the assurances that I'll be relatively safe vis-a-vis
misuse of my previous cell phone. Good to know about the ESNs.

Whoever said it's probably just misplaced must know me rather well. I
never lose stuff----I just leave it where I can't find it again anytime
soon.

I suspect it'll turn up somewhere around my digs, and then I'll have two
cell phones. One can be a paperweight unless/until the one in use quits
working or, in turn, gets "lost"

Oh yes, I did in fact walk around with our household cordless phone and
dutifully try calling my cell # and listening to see if I could hear a
ringing, and find it that way. No such luck, though.

Over the years, I have 'lost' my cell phones 4 times. Each time, I tore
my digs apart looking for it, to no avail. Got a new phone, and moved
on. 2-3-6 months later, the missing phone turns up. I now have a
fascinating collection of 4 progressively smaller cell phones. None were
actually lost, just not immediately found.
JR

RB wrote:

Thanks very much for the assurances that I'll be relatively safe vis-a-vis
misuse of my previous cell phone. Good to know about the ESNs.

Whoever said it's probably just misplaced must know me rather well. I
never lose stuff----I just leave it where I can't find it again anytime
soon.

I suspect it'll turn up somewhere around my digs, and then I'll have two
cell phones. One can be a paperweight unless/until the one in use quits
working or, in turn, gets "lost"

Oh yes, I did in fact walk around with our household cordless phone and
dutifully try calling my cell # and listening to see if I could hear a
ringing, and find it that way. No such luck, though.




--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth