Minutes Stolen from Cell Phone!!!

[Psyber]

:|

Not really for me, but my gf. She was planning on cancelling her cellphone plan since her phone broke. When they looked at her account, she had like a $200 balance ($160 more than normal). She checked her call history and there were a huge number of calls on her history that she didn't make.

Some details
-Her Sim card is in the phone (we checked)
-She keeps it with her always
-The stolen calls almost happen in parallel (couple minutes after or before) with calls she actually did make
-We called the cell phone company and they say that it is impossible for someone to make calls on your account without your equipment or Sim card (but this is definately not true since this happened to her). However, they did credit her account for $60 and are going to do an investigation.

Anyone experience something like this? How does something like this happen? What's within our rights to do? Can we refuse payment?

Any suggestions are appreciated,
Psyber

Update:
I know this was a while back, but for those that are curious.... it turns out it was a billing error. We've cancelled the plan and went with another cell phone company.

 

[Viper GTS]

Have them pull the records of the IMEI that was used on the call.

If it matches her phone then her phone made the calls, there's no way around that.

Viper GTS

 

[JRich]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Have them pull the records of the IMEI that was used on the call.

If it matches her phone then her phone made the calls, there's no way around that.

Viper GTS

Bingo. Someone might have cloned her SIM. I have heard of that, but is it possible?

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: JRich

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Have them pull the records of the IMEI that was used on the call.

If it matches her phone then her phone made the calls, there's no way around that.

Viper GTS

Bingo. Someone might have cloned her SIM. I have heard of that, but is it possible?

Difficult but possible.

 

[imported_Condor]

She lies?

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Condor
She lies?

Most likely.

Or forgets. Or loans her phone to people.

I'd put money on the IMEI matching up perfectly, it's by far the most probable explanation.

Viper GTS

 

[Psyber]

Must be possible... I just found this crazy article
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/17/1729245&from=rss

Does the IMEI give the exact serial number of the phone that the calls were placed from or just the brand or model? She's got a cheapy free phone and it's a Nokia, really easy to get a hold of.

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: Condor
She lies?

Ockham's Razor FTW!

 

[Psyber]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: Condor
She lies?

Most likely.

Or forgets. Or loans her phone to people.

I'd put money on the IMEI matching up perfectly, it's by far the most probable explanation.

Viper GTS

Definately not. They're really strange numbers being called that end with 0000, like xxx-xxx-0000 . I don't know if it's a technical glitch or someone cloning the phone because I remember talking to her once and in the middle of talking it switched over to someone else on the phone.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Psyber
Must be possible... I just found this crazy article
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/17/1729245&from=rss

Does the IMEI give the exact serial number of the phone that the calls were placed from or just the brand or model? She's got a cheapy free phone and it's a Nokia, really easy to get a hold of.

It will match it to the device.

Until you have specific evidence otherwise you need to quit assuming that you've been cheated/ripped off/whatever. It's highly unlikely with modern phone systems.

Viper GTS

 

[swtethan]

shes been calling sex lines

 

[MisterJackson]

Man, this has got to be the most elaborate length I've seen a girl go to to explain calls to her other boyfriend. She's even got you "checking into it" on the internet. She owns you dude.

 

[erikistired]

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
Man, this has got to be the most elaborate length I've seen a girl go to to explain calls to her other boyfriend. She's even got you "checking into it" on the internet. She owns you dude.

something got stolen for sure, but it sounds more like it was his man card.

 

[swtethan]

Originally posted by: fisher

Originally posted by: MisterJackson
Man, this has got to be the most elaborate length I've seen a girl go to to explain calls to her other boyfriend. She's even got you "checking into it" on the internet. She owns you dude.

something got stolen for sure, but it sounds more like it was his man card.

why dont you call the number and ask who it is?

 

[jupiter57]

It's possible she is like yours truly.
With my latest phone, ending the call takes a lot of thought and punching of those tiny little keypad numbers.
I have a habit of just pushing the Menu button as I did on my old phone and that in itself would end the call.
Not so with the new phone, it WILL NOT hang up until you specifically punch the designatd "End Call" button.
I've already rang up quite a few extra minutes so far, but I am slowly getting the hang of it.

 

[Psyber]

I'll have them check the IMEI. Any other suggestions?

I know it's highly unlikely, personally I thought that it was because she might have left her phone somewhere during the day and someone was using it without her permission, but calls are only minutes apart, some might actually even overlap (though I didn't look into detail). She claims she has the phone with her all the time (I don't see why she would lie to me about it, it's not like I'm paying the bill). Also her phone really really sucks!!! Dropped calls and static ALL THE TIME, only reason she didn't switch was because she was under contract.

I know some of you are skeptical, but I spend alot of time with her and she really does not even have the time to make 3000 minutes worth of calls in 2 weeks. Also, I didn't even know that 0000 numbers existed.

Originally posted by: swtethan
why dont you call the number and ask who it is?

Thats a good idea

I just might do this

 

[swtethan]

3000 and you only pay 160?

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Psyber

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: Condor
She lies?

Most likely.

Or forgets. Or loans her phone to people.

I'd put money on the IMEI matching up perfectly, it's by far the most probable explanation.

Viper GTS

Definately not. They're really strange numbers being called that end with 0000, like xxx-xxx-0000 . I don't know if it's a technical glitch or someone cloning the phone because I remember talking to her once and in the middle of talking it switched over to someone else on the phone.

Do a reverse lookup on some of the numbers...

 

[swtethan]

post numbers on atot so we can prank

 

[ForumMaster]

i didn't think it would be possible, but considering the insane amount of useage of cellphone in israel (everybody has one. even 5th graders), hackers might get desperate enough to do this. i don't know how exactlly though. mayeb they pick up the signal and somehoe strip the code from there?

 

[imported_Condor]

Is it possible that she doesn't lock her keyboard and the phone gets self dialed by stuff in her purse, near belt (if she hangs it on a belt) pushing the buttons and she doesn't notice? That happens a lot with phones that aren't flip phones. Something will strike the keys by accident and the phone will call some random number and sometimes the first number in the directory.

 

[Psyber]

I know this was a while back, but for those that are curious.... it turns out it was a billing error. We've cancelled the plan and went with another cell phone company.