SIM cards in iPhones in the Apple Store

[mrdude42]

The iphones at the apple store seem to all be activated and working for phone calls and texts and internet. the sims can be removed with a paper clip. what do you think would happen if someone attempted to use one of these is their own iphone? would apple notice? i know they could probably see the ID of the phone the person is using but could it be tracked to the person? could you replace the one taken with an empty SIM to keep them from noticing? just wondering.

[Godot]

The way I understand it, a SIM card removed from any GSM phone will work in any phone from the same provider, or just any unlocked phone. If you stole a SIM card, AT&T would probably be able to get the serial number of the phone you used it in. Whether or not the SN could lead them to you depends on how you obtained the phone. If they really want to get you, they might be able get a warrant to tap your calls to try and identify you, or they might try to get your postion using GPS or just the nearby cell towers.

But half this stuff I am not 100% sure on, so please correct me if I am wrong.

[Phreakazoid]

yeah like godot say you could take the sim card out of a gsm phone and put it into a phone from the same provider and still be able to use it but they would most likely notice and deactivate the service so you would probably have it for a day or two as far as finding out who has it they could look at who all you call and what not though I CLEARLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, EVER. if they would actually go through the trouble of finding you instead of just turning the phone off <shrugs>

[rbcp]

Still, it could be a fun way to have a phone for a couple of days of free, trace-free pranking.  Well aside from the GPS issue.  Man I really need to get a GPS jammer.

[Godot]

Still, it could be a fun way to have a phone for a couple of days of free, trace-free pranking.  Well aside from the GPS issue.  Man I really need to get a GPS jammer.

You could get as GSM phone without GPS to put it in, or just prank away from home and keep the phone off when you aren't using it.

[Phreakazoid]

even without gps they could just triangulate the call based on the cell towers being used pretty much, though like i said before i doubt they would go through the trouble

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=505792

[Copyright]

Just take the card out and sell it for like $50 as unl. whatever. That way you can't really get in trouble.

[afreak]

Still, it could be a fun way to have a phone for a couple of days of free, trace-free pranking.  Well aside from the GPS issue.  Man I really need to get a GPS jammer.

Cheap GPS jamming devices are available on DealExtreme, but I would say that you're better off with a non-GPS-enabled phone. Even with the GPS jammed, it still uses some corelation to determine where you are based on the cell phone tower you're hitting.