Hot on the trail of missing phones Premium

Given how indispensable a mobile phone can be, losing one can be highly distressing. Thanks to Anantapur Police’s pioneering initiative — a WhatsApp chatbot to locate misplaced/ stolen cellphones — more than 5,000 handsets worth ₹8.25 crore have been retrieved in a little over seven months. The recovery process is far from easy, but the police’s efforts are winning hearts

For most of us, mobile phones are attached to our bodies almost like an extra limb. Ensconced in the palm of our hand, the rectangular device, be it worth ₹5,000 or above ₹1 lakh, has become an indispensable part of our daily lives today. Apart from facilitating easy communication, the mobile phone is an extension of oneself as it contains a vast repository of personal information such as passwords, phone numbers, and sensitive bank information. Pardon the hyperbole, but many would agree that losing a cell phone is akin to having an organ severed from the body.

However, if you do lose your phone, you can bank on Anantapur Police to retrieve it for you. Just type ‘HI’ or ‘HELP’ from another phone, send it across to the police, and presto! Your phone will be delivered home. This initiative has become a pioneering effort in the country. In fact, the National Police Academy has invited Anantapur SP Fakkeerappa Kaginelli to deliver a lecture on it.

Anantapur Police deploy technology and coordinate with multiple agencies to detect/ locate the lost/ stolen phones with an average turnaround time of seven days, with minimum of one day to a month in very few cases.

On June 26 last year, Mr.Fakkeerappa introduced a WhatsApp chatbot with the number 94407-96812 to help anyone having lost a phone anywhere in the country. 

The phone owner has to type a message ‘HELP’ over the chatbot and send it to the WhatsApp number. Immediately, a link for a Google Form is sent for the complainant to fill in details such as both IMEI numbers of the lost phone, its make, and their name and address.

On an average, the Anantapur police have been receiving 120 complaints a week, with the number touching almost 70 on some days. 

Cyber Cell Sub-inspector of Police G. Sudhakar Yadav told The Hindu that the real work begins with an official letter sent to all seven service providers in the country, providing the IMEI numbers to check if those were activated somewhere.