Tracing a mobile

[Banjoman]

I know its possible to trace a mobile phone with the owners permission, I need to trace a phone WITHOUT the owners permission. Any help would be appreciated. TIA

[Buenchico]

If the phone is on 'pay-as-you-go' it needn't be registered so even the phone company won't know who's using it.

If the phone is registered (or on a contract), the only people who'll have access to the owner's details are a (very) few members of the phone company's staff. The only way to access this information would be to identify, and then bribe, one of these staff. Make sure, however, that this member of staff is someone that you really like because there's a very high chance that you'll be sharing a cell together for quite some time! (IT'S STRICTLY ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE TO PASS ON THIS INFORMATION UNDER THE TERMS OF THE DATA PROTECTION ACT).

Chris

[Buenchico]

PS: If it's the location, rather than the owner, of the phone which you require, the same points still apply.

Chris

[stevie21]

While I agree that what Chris describes is illegal (both parties would be breaking the law) I completely disagree that a tiny select few will have access to personal details or that you would actually serve prison time.
It's still completely wrong but Chris is being rather melodramatic here.

Out of noseyness - are you trying to trace a mobile to a person (name/address) or to a geographical location (Manchester) ??

[Buenchico]

To respond to Stevie21:
While it would be a matter for the courts to decide upon the penalties for a breach of the Data Protection Act, I'm still confident that only very few people within a phone company should have access to the personal details of its customers. The Data Protection Registrar frequently reminds companies that protected data must only be accessible by staff who have a genuine need to see this information. In the case of a mobile phone company this would probably mean that some staff within the acounts department would have access but most other staff would not.

If the information required is in relation to the location of the phone (rather than the ownership) this requires a data search to be carried out. Such a search cannot legally be carried out without a magistrate's warrant or similar legal authority.

Chris

[mkjuk]

I have heard in the past that there is definatley a way of tracing someones mobile phone location in real-time without them knowing, it can be done on the internet and for free. anyone can do it. Dont know how to do it tho myself

[qapmoc]

Hi mkjuk, I think you have watching too many hi-tech movies where anybody can do anything, reality has not yet caught up with some of the things they dream up.

[Banjoman]

My sincere thanks to all who responded to my original question. I should have made it clear, its the location I am needing, not the owner. MKJUK is correct, there was available (For about 24hrs) a site where you entered the relevant number and the location was revelled. (Within about 1/2ml I think) It was illegal, but it showed the technology is available. Trouble is, I dont have it!!

[stevie21]

Chris, I have absolutely no desire to argue with you whatsoever but you're talking about what the world *should* be like and, in an ideal world, how your personal data would be protected.
I was telling you how things are in the real world where things cost money and corners are cut.

Every single person (as a start point) in the "customer services" and the "IT" departments need access to this data. That's not a tiny minority.


Incidentally, I've seen plenty breaches of the DPA and never a prison sentence yet. Worst yet is a hefty fine for the company and loss of job for the individual.

Perhaps a slight change of subject but I've read lots of your replies to other questions and they're of a cracking quality so I have lots of respect for your input, I just totally disagree with the disctinction here between what should happen (you can generalise this to ANY field) and what does actually happen.

[cheater99]

mobile phones work in cells and the operating company can locate any phone which is switched on to an area within the cell i.e an area in berkshire or lancashire for example, this area can be within a square mile or less. to my knowledge this information can only be accessed by the authorities at the moment, this is how they trace some missing persons and used to trace stolen cars.

[Gibbyfk4]

There is a few websites that you can trace the location of a mobile phone but you need the owner to respond to an sms message before it can be activated. the mobile phone owner can stop the tracking at any time. i was looking at this with regards to my kids.

[Milton123]

It is possible through eBlaster Android Phone Monitoring Software. This software helps to send the details of calls made, sent and received text messages, websites visited without the phone owner knowledge.

Resource - http://www.spy3k.be/android_spy_phone_software.html/.