Woman tries recycling shattered iPhone 5C through Rogers, discovers her info wasn't wiped after phon - Polidicks

[url]http://globalnews.ca/news/1938832/woman-shocked-after-phone-recycled-at-rogers-store-sold-on-ebay/[/url] [quote=Global]A Calgary woman was shocked to find a cellphone with her personal information for sale on eBay after she left it at a Rogers store under the impression it would be recycled. Rhonda Anderson dropped her iPhone in February, and it broke into pieces. There was still a year on her contract and so she took it to the Rogers store in Beacon Hill. Anderson says the manager sold her a new phone and she left the old one for recycling. A month later she got an email from someone who bought a phone on eBay and found her personal information on it.[/quote]

Why would you leave it up to someone else to make sure YOUR information was deleted? I always wipe my phones before sending them in for warranty work or trade in. Hell if your phones fucked stick it under a magnet or in a shitty microwave you don't care about.

At least whoever ended up with the phone emailed her instead of doing something sinister.

It has probably nothing to do with Rogers. The guy probably took it for himself, replaced the broken screen and sold it for profit. This happens a lot, but usually they are smart enough to wipe the data.

It isn't the first time and it won't be the last time this happens.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;47534937]Why would you leave it up to someone else to make sure YOUR information was deleted? I always wipe my phones before sending them in for warranty work or trade in. Hell if your phones fucked stick it under a magnet or in a shitty microwave you don't care about.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Article] Rhonda Anderson dropped her iPhone in February, and it broke into pieces. [/QUOTE] the average person isn't tech savvy enough to know that breaking your phone's screen or something that makes it non-functional doesn't mean the data on it is gone, too. she probably assumed they would recycle the parts that were in alright condition and delete any data on it (which is a fair assumption to make for someone who isn't tech savvy.)

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;47534937]Why would you leave it up to someone else to make sure YOUR information was deleted? I always wipe my phones before sending them in for warranty work or trade in. Hell if your phones fucked stick it under a magnet or in a shitty microwave you don't care about.[/QUOTE] Mmm, yes, let's microwave phones that might be fixable. She probably didn't know it was a total write-off until she brought it into the store, at which point wiping it wasn't an option. It's on Rogers, this time. Most likely one of their employees is skimming phones out of the return bin that can be fixed(And a broken screen certainly can be when you have access to the proper tools necessary for dismantling a smartphone) and hocking them on eBay for some on-the-side profits.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;47534937]Why would you leave it up to someone else to make sure YOUR information was deleted? I always wipe my phones before sending them in for warranty work or trade in. Hell if your phones fucked stick it under a magnet or in a shitty microwave you don't care about.[/QUOTE] or, or you can just do a factory reset, wipe it clean and send it away or plug it into your computer, and wipe all the files from there

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;47534937]Why would you leave it up to someone else to make sure YOUR information was deleted? I always wipe my phones before sending them in for warranty work or trade in. Hell if your phones fucked stick it under a magnet or in a shitty microwave you don't care about.[/QUOTE] Magnets don't affect phones.

[QUOTE=Maucer;47535033]It has probably nothing to do with Rogers. The guy probably took it for himself, replaced the broken screen and sold it for profit. This happens a lot, but usually they are smart enough to wipe the data.[/QUOTE] Rogers is a certified shit company. It's Canada's Comcast. You're probably right but it doesn't make Rogers any better for not at least keeping track of where these phones end up.

[QUOTE=Quark:;47535052]the average person isn't tech savvy enough to know that breaking your phone's screen or something that makes it non-functional doesn't mean the data on it is gone, too. she probably assumed they would recycle the parts that were in alright condition and delete any data on it (which is a fair assumption to make for someone who isn't tech savvy.)[/QUOTE] Blaming ignorance doesn't make it a smart idea to do things that way. Its a modern version of turning in a safe with all your prized possessions and important documents still inside. [editline]15th April 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Sableye;47535330]or, or you can just do a factory reset, wipe it clean and send it away or plug it into your computer, and wipe all the files from there[/QUOTE] That's what I'm implying, although if your phone is extra fucked to the point where you cannot operate it those are options you have.

I'm not surprised Rogers doesn't have a strict recycling policy and procedure. Fuck even the retailer I work at has to have management and LP make sure that everything is cleared off if recycling any data items.

I'd make the same mistake too honestly, you assume leaving the phone at the dispensary means it'll be disposed off, especially since they sold her a new one which implies the old one was unfixable. We're supposed to recycle old phones, but we can't trust the companies to do it? Might as well just soak it in water and smash it to bits instead, at least you won't have your personal information leaked.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;47535546]Its a modern version of turning in a safe with all your prized possessions and important documents still inside.[/QUOTE] What? That doesn't even compare. If your phones broken, you can't turn it on or access it - how the fuck are you supposed to wipe it? You could plug it in, but this is not always an option. Often when you drop a phone and the screen shatters, there are parts inside that are damaged as well. I have experienced this. Magnets don't work on phones - microwaving it is just a downright stupid idea considering the chemicals inside of it (regardless of if you're stupid enough to leave the battery inside of it) and the fact that it is possibly salvageable at that point. It isn't ignorance - she genuinely did not think she had any options of wiping it. How could she have? Please, explain to me. She likely traded it in and received her newer phone for cheaper; of course she would assume that is the best option and that Rogers would take care of her old phone for her. That is, after all, their job and what is expected of them. This wasn't a case of the woman being ignorant. This was a case of Rogers explicitly not doing what they are supposed to do - protecting your privacy and information.

Just do it the way the DoD does it. Grab a drill, put some holes into that thing, and call it a day.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;47534937]Why would you leave it up to someone else to make sure YOUR information was deleted? I always wipe my phones before sending them in for warranty work or trade in. Hell if your phones fucked stick it under a magnet or in a shitty microwave you don't care about.[/QUOTE] It's a recycling service offered by the company. It's like those secure paper shredding services. When you give them your stuff for processing the liability transfers over to them. If your information gets out while in their hands you have full right to sue them provided you can prove it happened after the handoff and in this case, she can because the phone still exists and ended up in the hands of someone not related to Rogers. Destroying your phone before sending it to be processed is straight paranoia, if not the wrong thing to do. The better solution is to sue them for not following policy which in the long run sits on the record of the vendor or the company as a whole and looks REALLY bad in this day and age.

[QUOTE=BackSapper;47535681]I'm not surprised Rogers doesn't have a strict recycling policy and procedure. Fuck even the retailer I work at has to have management and LP make sure that everything is cleared off if recycling any data items.[/QUOTE] It looks like Rogers is partnered with recyclemycell.ca, who say on their site that the individual is responsible for clearing personal information before submitting it for recycling. Seems like a really shit program

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;47534937]Why would you leave it up to someone else to make sure YOUR information was deleted? I always wipe my phones before sending them in for warranty work or trade in. Hell if your phones fucked stick it under a magnet or in a shitty microwave you don't care about.[/QUOTE] IIRC microwaving a phone is a really bad idea since the battery can and will explode. And after it does, you have battery acid and melted plastic all over your microwave. Very smart.

[QUOTE=garychencool;47537921]IIRC microwaving a phone is a really bad idea since the battery can and will explode. And after it does, you have battery acid and melted plastic all over your microwave. Very smart.[/QUOTE] I happen to do have a microwave I don't care about and a tablet no longer useable. For entertainmen value (and right price) I could make a video nuking the broken piece of shit.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;47537055]It looks like Rogers is partnered with recyclemycell.ca, who say on their site that the individual is responsible for clearing personal information before submitting it for recycling. Seems like a really shit program[/QUOTE] "Hi we recycle your old phones in a safe and environmental manner but don't come knocking if we decide to sell it instead." What kind of bullshit is this??? I retract what I said earlier. Fucking Rogers contracted the job to cheap scum.

If it's an iPhone then it probably had an iCloud lock on it which means you can't really wipe the phone without the original owners iCloud password or it makes the phone completely useless

[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;47536213]Just do it the way the DoD does it. Grab a drill, put some holes into that thing, and call it a day.[/QUOTE]I love it when I see a perfectly good laptop drilled full of holes- all of which have managed to miss the hard drive.

[QUOTE=garychencool;47537921]IIRC microwaving a phone is a really bad idea since the battery can and will explode. And after it does, you have battery acid and melted plastic all over your microwave. Very smart.[/QUOTE] Well... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU76rDdn2WA[/media]

Well at least the guy emailed her, hopefully she learned something about keeping your data safe and inaccessible to malicious assholes.

[QUOTE=UncleJimmema;47534937]Why would you leave it up to someone else to make sure YOUR information was deleted? I always wipe my phones before sending them in for warranty work or trade in. Hell if your phones fucked stick it under a magnet or in a shitty microwave you don't care about.[/QUOTE] A normal magnet won't do shit with a phone since it uses non-magnetic data storage. A microwave probably will, but depending on the previous state, that would decrease the value of the phone which you might still want to turn in otherwise.

[QUOTE=Quark:;47535052]the average person isn't tech savvy enough to know that breaking your phone's screen or something that makes it non-functional doesn't mean the data on it is gone, too. [/QUOTE] And then you have the flip side, people who think all their data is stored in the screen itself somehow. I run a phone repair shop, alot people ask if they are going to lose their data when we replace the screen assemblies. The kicker? Older folks often times have a better grasp on how data is stored over the young adults that come in my shop. That is kinda scary considering the age these kids are growing up in. Younger people dont give a fuck about even the most general outline of how something works today as long as they can play candy crush and check facebook. [QUOTE=BazzBerry;47535864] If your phones broken, you can't turn it on or access it - how the fuck are you supposed to wipe it? You could plug it in, but this is not always an option. This wasn't a case of the woman being ignorant. This was a case of Rogers explicitly not doing what they are supposed to do - protect your privacy and information.[/QUOTE] There are multiple ways of wiping a phone, depending on what functionality is left, for the user. Just as an example - iPhone has DFU mode and Android has their recovery menu, neither of those modes require touch input to facilitate a factory wipe of the device. Though I do agree if your device is so badly damaged you cannot use DFU or Recovery Mode, you have have no choice but to trust the person or company who says they will recycle your device and treat your data with respect. I always come back to the fact that most everything you do online should be considered public domain especially with things like social media. Your phone/tablet ect is no exception to this rule when you start storing things on it that you would not want to be seen or used by others. If you dont want it seen or read, dont take a picture of it and dont write it down.

[QUOTE=Spanky;47540882] If you dont want it seen or read, dont take a picture of it and dont write it down.[/QUOTE] This kinda makes a phone almost useless then. What about passwords and stuff? Am I supposed to always enter it manually?

[QUOTE=itisjuly;47540909]This kinda makes a phone almost useless then. What about passwords and stuff? Am I supposed to always enter it manually?[/QUOTE] I have my phone store passwords, but never for important accounts, personal profiles or things that tie to money. Its called operational security, you have to decide how vigilant you want to be about safeguarding your personal information.

I'm not an iPhone user myself, but doesn't iOS have a remote management that allows you to remotely wipe the user data on the device? Assuming she's like other users who leave their WiFi on at all times, she could've used that to wipe her data. [T]http://kittehcat.org/upl/Android_Device_Manager_-_Google_Chrome_2015-04-16_22-48-01.png[/T] Keep in mind, not exactly planning to raise a victim blaming shitstorm here, I'm mostly wondering this.

I heard somewhere that wiping an iPhone from the built in Reset Phone thing doesn't securely wipe the data, meaning it can be recovered. Is this true?