Reducing mobile-phone fraud
First Claim
1. Non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate a method of reducing mobile-phone fraud, the method comprising:
- determining that a mobile device is lost or stolen;
deactivating the determined lost or stolen mobile device, wherein deactivating prevents the determined lost or stolen mobile device from communicating via a wireless-telecommunications network;
receiving a request to activate the determined lost or stolen mobile device from the determined lost or stolen mobile device;
upon receiving the request to activate from the determined lost or stolen mobile device, communicating to the determined lost or stolen mobile device activation data, which enables the mobile device to communicate via a wireless-telecommunications network; and
communicating to the mobile device functionality-impairment instructions, which, when run on the mobile device, deliberately disable a set of functional aspects of the mobile device thereby transforming the mobile device from a first state to a second state and wherein the second state is functionally impaired as compared to the first state.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and products for facilitating a method of reducing mobile-phone fraud are provided. One method includes receiving a request to activate a mobile device, determining that it is identified as lost or stolen, communicating to the mobile device activation data that enables the mobile device to communicate via a wireless-telecommunications network despite the fact that the mobile device was determined to be identified as lost or stolen, and communicating to the mobile device functionality-impairment instructions that deliberately disable a set of functional aspects of the mobile device, thereby transforming it from a first state to a second state that is functionally impaired compared to the first state.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. Non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate a method of reducing mobile-phone fraud, the method comprising:
-
determining that a mobile device is lost or stolen; deactivating the determined lost or stolen mobile device, wherein deactivating prevents the determined lost or stolen mobile device from communicating via a wireless-telecommunications network; receiving a request to activate the determined lost or stolen mobile device from the determined lost or stolen mobile device; upon receiving the request to activate from the determined lost or stolen mobile device, communicating to the determined lost or stolen mobile device activation data, which enables the mobile device to communicate via a wireless-telecommunications network; and communicating to the mobile device functionality-impairment instructions, which, when run on the mobile device, deliberately disable a set of functional aspects of the mobile device thereby transforming the mobile device from a first state to a second state and wherein the second state is functionally impaired as compared to the first state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of recovering a lost or stolen mobile device, comprising:
-
incident to receiving input from a technician who has obtained the mobile device in connection with addressing a problem associated with the mobile device, submitting a query to determine whether the mobile device has been reported as being lost or stolen, wherein the problem was deliberately caused by instructions received from a wireless-telecommunications-network provider when activating the mobile device and wherein a description of the functional aspects that were disabled by the instructions is stored, thereby enabling an indication of the description to be presented incident to troubleshooting the lost or stolen mobile device; and receiving a response to the query; presenting a visual indication that the mobile device is reported as being lost or stolen when the mobile device is identified as being lost or stolen. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
-
18. Non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that, when executed by a computing device, facilitate a method of receiving activation data that is usable to enable a determined lost or stolen mobile device to be used on a wireless-telecommunications network, the method comprising:
-
providing activation data to the determined lost or stolen mobile device enabling the determined lost or stolen mobile device to communicate with other mobile devices by way of the wireless-telecommunications network; providing functionality-impairment instructions to the determined lost or stolen mobile device that, when executed by the determined lost or stolen mobile device, transition it to an impaired state, wherein the functionality-impairment instructions are activated after a determination that the determined lost or stolen mobile device is reported as lost or stolen; automatically executing the functionality-impairment instructions, thereby placing the determined lost or stolen mobile device into the impaired state, which is characterized by one or more of the following, (1) keyboard impairment, wherein a selection of buttons no longer input data correctly into the determined lost or stolen mobile device; (2) display impairment, wherein a display of the determined lost or stolen mobile device does not present data correctly; (3) power impairment, wherein a power supply of the determined lost or stolen mobile device does not function correctly; (4) operational impairment, wherein the determined lost or stolen mobile device does not operate as it should but for being in the impaired state. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
Specification