Since the advent of prepaid cell phones (also called disposable cell phones) law enforcement has had a hard time tracking criminals who use these disposable cell phones. The reason is that prepaid customers have not been required to provide personal information about themselves or when asked to provide a name they provide a false name.

Prepaid wireless has become the mainstay of drug dealers, prostitutes, and various other criminals.  However, the heyday of hiding behind prepaid wireless is ending thanks to a coordinated effort between the FCC and wireless phone providers and an embedded microchip.

All newly manufactured wireless phones (even prepaid) are required to be E911 compatible. In order to achieve this capability they have an embedded microchip that is capable of determining and transmitting the users location using a method called triangulation. Some call this the “GPS” chip and it’s getting increasingly difficult to purchase and activate old cell phones that do not have the chip.

E911 is a tremendous enhancement for personal safety, and it’s also a major dent to criminal enterprises. The tool of the trade that shady thugs like drug dealers rely on is leading police right to their doorstep.

Sprint/Nextel’s Boost Mobile Prepaid Wireless is the honeypot because it’s marketing campaigns and technical capabilities. Boost mobile appeals to the inner-city crowd and has also been appealing to the criminal elements of inner-city life. It’s ironic too, since the Nextel service which Boost operates on - is the number one provider of wireless services for law enforcement.

Chirp. Chirp. Your busted.

APA Citation:
Smith, Nathan. M. (2007). Progress Made in Tracking Disposable Cell Phones.
Retrieved May 16, 2008, from http://www.computer-forensic-technician.com/wordpress/progress-made-in-tracking-disposable-cell-phones/.