Tracking a cell phone?

Anyone know of a legitimate site you can use to track the GPS location of a cell phone?

Don't want to get into detail, but my brother in law has been missing for a week, with no contact with any family / friends / boss....

FIL just filed missing persons report, so the police are working on their end, but I want to keep looking on ours...

TIA

Re: Tracking a cell phone?

I am not 100% sure but I would THINK you would need a warrant or something to do something like that.
I can't imagine there is a website that would allow you to do this- could you imagine how scary that would be if someoene wanted to stalk you and could do it that easily?

I would think the police would be able to though- I know you said you are working with them....

Best of luck!

Re: Tracking a cell phone?

I dealt with this issue once. Once you file a police report, the police can call the cell pone company and track the phone. Only the police can do this. There isn't a website or anything like that. The cell company can tell where he last used his phone (at least a vicinity) based on the signal picked up on the cell tower in that area. The cell company would not do it for me, even though I was the owner of the account, the police had to call. That shoud have been one of the first things the police attempted.



Good Luck!!

Re: Tracking a cell phone?

I know that iPhones have an app called Find My Phone or something like that. But there are two things, one is that the feature has to be activated on the iPhone. Not sure if it's defaulted to be on when you set up an iPhone. Two is that you have to be able to log in to your account online and trace where the phone is located.

I imagine there are similar things with other carriers, but I assume you would have to contact the provider first, and you may need to get the law involved in order for them to give out any personal info on another person.

Good luck!

ETA, if the phone has GPS capability, it should be much more accurate than tracing it via cell tower, which will only get you to within a close range. Also, I don't know if whether the phone is powered on or not will make a difference. But certainly, as others have said, they should at least be able to track down the tower to where the last call was made from.

Message edited 2/4/2010 4:31:25 PM.

Re: Tracking a cell phone?

Thanks Ladies...I had done a google search, and you wouldn't believe what came up, but I was pretty sure 90% of the sites were bogus.

I DID find (as a sort of PSA / off topic) that there are GPS tracking programs you can INSTALL on your phone so that you CAN be tracked / track the person....Amber Alert Foundation offers one...they market to parents who want to be able to find their children...

We are working with the police, so I'm sure that they'll search it out....FIL is going to cell phone provider to get an activity report (account is in his name)...and see if we can find a friend or something that way.

Thanks for your support!

Re: Tracking a cell phone?

Posted by FrankiesGirl107
I DID find (as a sort of PSA / off topic) that there are GPS tracking programs you can INSTALL on your phone so that you CAN be tracked / track the person....Amber Alert Foundation offers one...they market to parents who want to be able to find their children...

Thanks for your support!

Re: Tracking a cell phone?

Thanks Ladies.

BIL is found. The police upstate pulled over a car he was riding in....and found the APB that had been put out...

It would appear he's just simply a world-class @#$@#$#@....he's been partying at Hunter Mountain all week. He came home last night in bad shape...

In all seriousness, the family is extrememly upset, and likely going to stage an intervention (varying long-term factors involved)...I hope we can get him help...

Thanks for your help...It's nice having the support!

Re: Tracking a cell phone?

I am so glad to hear that he has been found!

Re: Tracking a cell phone?

Glad to hear he is safe.