britenbsas

Have you read the thread? The OP has already visited and got pick-pocketed whilst there!

MSPeconomist

IMO the husband's suggestion that he carry all the credit cards is more of a risk than pickpockets in Dublin.

Calchas

In this case the OP was very lucky, but when my iPhone was stolen the SIM card had been ejected within about thirty seconds and it was no longer trackable.

My only solace is that, because of the iCloud Activation Lock which is part of Find My iPhone, it is a completely useless brick to whoever is in possession of it.

pomcoach

I have several suspicions about my cell phone being pickpocketed:
When we tracked my phone at 7 am. in the dark to 12 blocks away from Christ's Church, it was to a building attached to the Starbucks on O'Connell street near the O'Connell Monument. I asked questions of a Security Guard at the Burger King and the employees of Starbucks, and the Youth Hostel desk guys around the corner by the alley. They all said there were very unsavory characters who live in that area. Yes, I do believe the news of my questioning got around, and the thief got a bit worried.

Also I wondered why the thief would walk 12 blocks back to Christ Church to lay the phone on a monument there on the grounds the next morning. Why not just get scared and throw it in the trash somewhere? I suspicion he actually worked at the Food Carnival on the grounds at Christ's Church and thought he'd just walk to work and lay it on a monument there, since he was going there anyway. He did take the Otterbox Defender case, which is worth about $50. I got a new case in a better color, so I'm happy there.

Just before the pickpocketing of my phone, I had just completed a guided tour of Christ's Church, and had just taken a picture with my phone of the beautiful church ceiling. In the picture there is a young thin man with jeans and black & white tennis shoes. He has a black hood pulled up over his head and only curly brown bangs protruding out. He sits in the last pew on the edge, turned toward the door. That's the exact spot where I stood as the church employee was handing me survey papers and asking if I had a pen. I believe that is the thief sitting there. I wouldn't think he's connected with the church or the survey. But I think he recognized a situation that happens everyday, where people are distracted, getting survey papers and fumbling for an ink pen, and then he makes his move.
I also know that prayer and belief is a strong force. I specifically prayed that he would take the phone back to Christ's Church and that's what he did.

What an ordeal! It cost $97 to FedEx my phone back to Iowa from Dublin! But I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have my phone back in my hand again! Those wonderful videos of step dancing and all the Castle and sheep photos, etc.! If I had it to do over, I probably would have stayed in the countrysides and avoided Dublin. But I'm happy it all turned out alright.
Thank you for all your comments and suggestions. We have the Find My phone on there now, and I'll also look into the ICloud Activation Lock.
Pomcoach from Iowa

Calchas

If Find My iPhone is on, and you have iOS 6 or newer, then the iCloud Activation Lock is automatically on. Basically your phone and your Apple account are registered together on Apple's servers. Even if your phone is wiped clean, it cannot be used again until you unlock it using the same Apple account that you used to turn on Find My iPhone. [So don't forget the password!]

Although there are several companies purporting to sell workarounds to the iCloud Activation Lock, as far as I can tell they are all scams and none work.

SkiAdcock

Agree.

And unfortunately the OP discovered (which can be true of any major city in the world) that if you get distracted/don't keep an eye on things that yes items can be stolen.

Glad the OP got the phone (and photos!) back.

Cheers. Sharon

LondonElite

Well, I'm glad you got your phone back, but this story makes no sense to me. The phone was tracked 12 blocks away but then ended up back at the church? The thief must have been very stupid to go back to the 'scene of the crime'.

FN-GM

The find my iPhone app is not accurate. I used it the other day, it showed my phone was in the stream about 500 yards from the house. Turned out it was in my kitchen!

LondonElite

I wasn't really questioning the technical accuracy of Find my iPhone. Maybe I'm cynical, but the whole story sounds a bit fishy and made-up, in my opinion.

VivoPerLei

And with a new case, if I read that correctly. However, given that, I have no reason to disbelieve the story. People are irrational, especially if they're on drugs. Guy could have been whacked when he took the phone, woke up and thought, 'oh crap', had a pang of conscience, and brought it back. Maybe he got harangued by a mother or relative to return it. It happens

britenbsas

Nice theory but about as likely as a meteor striking earth and wiping out life as know it within the next 24 hours!

FN-GM

Its more likely that the iPhone never left the church yard. Its more likely that find my iPhone wasn't working properly and displayed it further away than it actually was.

VivoPerLei

I would agree, except it had a different case on it, assuming again that I read that part of the narrative correctly.

ajGoes

I'm pretty sure OP meant the thief removed the case, which OP then replaced.

But I agree that the likeliest explanation was that the phone never left the churchyard, and the Find my Phone report was erroneous.

LondonElite

Actually, I suspect it was dropped and someone placed it in a convenient and visible place, as you might do with a hat or a glove. The whole pickpocket/praying thing is a bit far-fetched.