Found Iphone
julie_
Newbie

Hi!

I found a iphone while I was on vacation in last february in Louisiana.

The iphone used a verizon sim card and i checked using the IMEI and the device is not declared lost or stolen.

All information on phone has been erased but the device is linked to an icloud account (not in lost phone mode though).

Now that I am back to Canada, Is there any way to identify the original owner?

Thank you!

Julie

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Re: Found Iphone
MiiHere
Champion - Level 3

Is the phone still activated? Can you access any information? I'm wondering if they replaced their phone, but still use the same apple ID you could iMessage them through their own iMessage account. Or from another iMessage account.

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Re: Found Iphone
julie_
Newbie

Hi!

Not sure I understand what you mean by "activated"?

Thing is, I can see on the activation screen that the phone is still linked to an icloud account but the only information I got on this account is an incomplete email adress: t***(at)bellsouth.net, that is used to login.

I suppose it is not enough for iMessage...

(wow, quick answer, thanks!)

Julie

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Re: Found Iphone
MiiHere
Champion - Level 3

If it's still activated, the SIM card that is, you'd be able to make a phone call. You can try calling yourself real quick to get the persons phone number. I'm not sure about on an iPhone, but if you go into settings>phone it might show you the persons phone number also.

With that you can contact Verizon to see if they will get in contact with the owner. You could try and text the phone number either using iMessage if you have an iPhone, or text it using your android using Message+.

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Re: Found Iphone
sprmankalel
Champion - Level 3

Why did you take the phone back to Canada? you should have taken to a VZW store while in Louisiana.

I understand that you want to return the device but since it on the activation screen and has an iCloud account attached to it you should try emailing that email address and see if you can get in touch with the owner.

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Re: Found Iphone
julie_
Newbie

The phone was totally discharged when I found it, so I had no idea about the icloud thing or even that it was a verizon phone... It was only when I came back that I buy a wire to charge the device (and found how to remove the simcard) that I discover the icloud problem...

So, to answer to MiiHere, I have no idea of the phone number that is associated to. (No way to go in "Settings", since I am stocked at the activation screen).

Yes, I would like to know how I could communicate with the owner.

Many thanks!

Julie

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Re: Found Iphone
MiiHere
Champion - Level 3

You'd have to try and call a Verizon store and see if they can locate the owner using the SIM card somehow.

You could plug it into your computer and see if that pulls up anything, but because it has an apple ID already on it, I'm not sure that would help.

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Re: Found Iphone
Weth
Legend

Ask Siri by holding the Home button and ask exactly: “Whose phone is this?”or you can ask “Who owns this iPhone?”

Re: Found Iphone
julie_
Newbie

Thanks for all your answers... but the iphone has been erased so I cannot ask anything to Siri.

If I plugged the phone to iTunes, I get the same icloud activation problem.

Is there any way to communicate with Verizon by email (I tried to find an email adress on their website but did not find anything, that's why I use the community forum.)

Julie

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Re: Found Iphone
Weth
Legend

Even if you could communicate with Verizon. they will not give you the name and certainly not the address of the owner. These are usually given back to Verizon directly. Since you are in Canada, you may want to try to give it back to an Apple Store.

The phone is of no use to you. It has been remotely wiped and with the icloud lock, there is nothing you can do to make it work. The IMEI will eventually end up on a lost/stolen list.

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