How can I identify the cell carrier based on the ICCID on SIM card?

The other day, I found a cell phone someone had left behind and now I’m trying to track down the owner. Since the phone was turned off and is protected with a PIN code, I couldn’t use the regular find-a-name-in-address book trick. I’m therefore left with the option of tracking down the owner through the SIM card in the phone.

On the card, there’s (what I think is) an ICCID number which I think should at least point me to the correct provider. Can anyone help me with pointers to how this code could be decoded and possibly a list of provider. I think it’s a Swedish cell phone provider.

Thanks!

Answer by Gullefjun
All the swedish providers I have ever used (which is pretty much all of them, over the years) have their brand on the back of the sim chip, or I could give you a good guess if you told me what colour it is.

This url:
http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_se.shtml
has a list of the mobile networks in Sweden.

I don’t believe there is any way to decode the ICCID back to a provider. You might try going the other way, asking the phone manufacturer. Most of the common brands now have online registration where you can download ringtones and get other services, and you normally have to give the phone serial to register. If the owner registered the phone, they may have contact information.

Finally, prepaid cash cards are very common here, (I mean, to the point you can refill them at macdonalds as you buy your burger), so even if you figure out which provider it is, they may not know anything at all.

I’d just hand it in to the police.

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I have been receiving spam calls on my cell phone for almost a year now. I googled some of the numbers and found out that they are coming from Portfolio Recovery Associates. I have read several threads where I learned other people have been harassed as well. They call me asking for “Carmen Ortiz.” FYI, this is not my first or last name and I am not related to anyone by this name. I also have excellent credit. I have never had any credit issues in my life.

I don’t ever answer the calls, but they continue to call and leave messages for this (fake?) person. Other people have said that telling them to stop or writing to them only makes them worse. I did tell them to stop once but of course that did nothing. I’m also on the cell phone “do not call” list. I don’t understand why this isn’t illegal? My phone carrier said I can block them if I pay extra for a service that will block any unwanted calls. I don’t think that is fair. I never had these kinds of calls when I was with other cell phone providers (I’m with AT & T) What can I do?

Answer by ShadowCat
Go to FTC’s website and place your phone on the Do Not Call List. They can be fined for calling after thirty days of placing you number on the list. Make sure your number is unlisted..between that time, invest in and use a Boson’s whistle. That works, when they don’t Stop..

Answer by Mmmattyyyy
Seriously now, just answer yes to everything they say – they will soon go away.

Another tip is to not answer the phone and let them get frustrated not you.

Finally you can register with the telephone preference service (http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps) and if any telemarketer rings you, you can say that you are signed up with the TPS and what they are doing is illegal.

I hope this helps

Answer by Astaroth
When they call, be really flirtatious with them and don’t forget to ask them what they are wearing. You can even ask them to touch themselves. It’s great fun. And the best thing is that they can’t complain because they called you. You can be as rude as you like, just not abusive. Don’t worry if the caller is male or female, it works with both. Just remember to take control of the conversation. You can also recite your favourite poem, it’s costing them money, not you.

Answer by Cindy B
You can answer the caller and tell them they have the wrong number and ask them to remove the number from their call list, or you can pay to block them.

I get them also, from telemarketers, and when I call back I push 1, and it says “thank you your number will be removed from our list within 3 days”.

I got calls asking for someone who did not have my number and after I talked to them and said it was the wrong number the calls quit.

Remember, just spending your time researching the numbers is a waste of your time, it will make you angry and frustrated, and will not help. I advise answering the calls and telling them that Carmen is a liar as well as a bad debtor, and she lied to them about this being her number.

As for getting put on the “do not call list” if such a list really exists I think the telemarketers use it to make calls from, because they can’t get in trouble for calling you unless they continue to call after being told not to call. When the list first came out over 10 years ago lots of people signed up their elderly reletives to be on it because the elderly are often the victims of telemarketers, and are easily convinced to purchace products over the phone, so the telemarketers know that many of the people on the list are prime to market to. And, there is no penalty for violation of the do not call list unless the same telemarketer continues to call after being told not to call.

Good Luck

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Hi! heres the list of service provider addresses leave a comment if your service provider is not listed here and ill get it 4 u. Heres an example: 1234567890@vmobl.com The list: ——————————– Alltell: @message.alltel.com AT&T (used to be Cingular): @txt.att.net : @mms.att.net (MMS) : @cingularme.com Boost Mobile: @myboostmobile.com Nextel (now Sprint Nextel): @messaging.nextel.com Sprint PCS (now Sprint Nextel): @messaging.sprintpcs.com : @pm.sprint.com (MMS) T-Mobile: @tmomail.net US Cellular: email.uscc.net (SMS) : @mms.uscc.net (MMS) Verizon: @vtext.com : @vzwpix.com (MMS) Virgin Mobile USA: @vmobl.com ———————————–