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Tack on CC fraud - stolen cards, etc., large multiple purchases of items that can be quickly resold for cash probably raises a flag of any retailer.

Maybe he was going to sell them to Clock Boy to use for a science project....

not even necessary to get ID on who buys the phone, the IMEI on the phone is enough to track the whereabouts of the device. And if you don't think they'd deal with such non-sense of tracking a burner phone, well, Ignorance certainly can be blissful.

PBratton wrote:not even necessary to get ID on who buys the phone, the IMEI on the phone is enough to track the whereabouts of the device. And if you don't think they'd deal with such non-sense of tracking a burner phone, well, Ignorance certainly can be blissful.

The purpose of a "burner phone" (for us secret agents) is not so that it can't be tracked when you use it (all phones can). I's so they don't know specifically which phone to track when they want to track YOU. You use one of the 15 for a short time when you need it and you're "on the run". Then you throw it out and use the next one the next time you need to...

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No guarantees.

http://www.opera.com/

Scott B. wrote:Tack on CC fraud - stolen cards, etc., large multiple purchases of items that can be quickly resold for cash probably raises a flag of any retailer.

Ammunition, for example.

The Walmart I most often use will only sell 3 - 50 rounds boxes a day of .22 caliber rounds.

I asked why the rationing?

Because people were buying up all the .22 cal. round and in their view reselling it, thus to be fair to all wanting .22 rounds they started rationing.

I told them I appreciated it because for a long time they didn't have any .22 rounds until they started rationing.

So, I've no problem with Walmart rationing anything including burner phones.

The person most likely wanted the phones without activation.

MeMelYup wrote:The person most likely wanted the phones without activation.

Those prepaid phones aren't typically activated at the time of purchase. It's done later online.

mojo84 wrote:

MeMelYup wrote:The person most likely wanted the phones without activation.

Those prepaid phones aren't typically activated at the time of purchase. It's done later online.

When the phone is scanned for sale the register requests that the serial number also be scanned. Usually people buying in quantity don't want the serial number scanned because that starts the activation of that phone and registers it as being sold.

ScottDLS wrote:

PBratton wrote:not even necessary to get ID on who buys the phone, the IMEI on the phone is enough to track the whereabouts of the device. And if you don't think they'd deal with such non-sense of tracking a burner phone, well, Ignorance certainly can be blissful.

The purpose of a "burner phone" (for us secret agents) is not so that it can't be tracked when you use it (all phones can). I's so they don't know specifically which phone to track when they want to track YOU. You use one of the 15 for a short time when you need it and you're "on the run". Then you throw it out and use the next one the next time you need to...

Yup, image if they could only monitor for them all at the same time... It is difficult to hide in our new society,

MeMelYup wrote:

mojo84 wrote:

MeMelYup wrote:The person most likely wanted the phones without activation.

Those prepaid phones aren't typically activated at the time of purchase. It's done later online.

When the phone is scanned for sale the register requests that the serial number also be scanned. Usually people buying in quantity don't want the serial number scanned because that starts the activation of that phone and registers it as being sold.

Interesting. I thought that serial number scan was to verify the phone was properly sold and was authorized to be activated at some point in the future and no personal account info taken. It's my understanding that Is just to prevent stolen phones from being activated.Is that not the case?

PBratton wrote:

ScottDLS wrote:

PBratton wrote:not even necessary to get ID on who buys the phone, the IMEI on the phone is enough to track the whereabouts of the device. And if you don't think they'd deal with such non-sense of tracking a burner phone, well, Ignorance certainly can be blissful.

The purpose of a "burner phone" (for us secret agents) is not so that it can't be tracked when you use it (all phones can). I's so they don't know specifically which phone to track when they want to track YOU. You use one of the 15 for a short time when you need it and you're "on the run". Then you throw it out and use the next one the next time you need to...

Yup, image if they could only monitor for them all at the same time... It is difficult to hide in our new society,

Yes they can track all two billion phones that are turned on at any given time, how that allows them to figure out which one us "gray men" are using, is the question.

From a nosy/controlling/surveillance standpoint it seems like it'd be strange to limit the number per transaction/day... as that would remove any "red flags" that might have been valuable. To me the policy almost sounds like a tip you'd read on a conspiracy blog, "And when you get your prepaid phone stash, don't get more than 2 per transaction or 5 per day."

mojo84 wrote:Interesting. I thought that serial number scan was to verify the phone was properly sold and was authorized to be activated at some point in the future and no personal account info taken. It's my understanding that Is just to prevent stolen phones from being activated.Is that not the case?

I think you're right although it may vary by store. On the deal sites there are posts about not being able to activate phones that don't have a clean IMEI/MEID because they weren't scanned at checkout. Bad news if they bought a dozen to flip on fleabay.