Hobby Phones - Where do you hide them?

1) It's not only LE you're worried about. There's a whole industry of people who steal cell phone data. Computer hacking, pretexting, social engineering, bribes to "underpaid" customer service reps, etc. They even have web sites that will "get you anyone's cell phone information for $xx." Illegal, yes, but happens all the time and rarely are there any repercussions.

2) Some phones are locked to SIM cards from the same carrier.

3) I had a cell phone that would occasionally forget its lock code and turn on without it. Depending on how you do it, the phone may be locked, but someone can put the sim card in another phone or a sim card reader and read it.

Most mobile phones have an option to password access the phone. No password, no worky. If the phone has a removable SIM chip, then remove it and keep the chip in some hiding place. I'd suggest NEVER leaving embarrassing phone numbers in the directory. Keep the numbers on paper with some kind of coding - number replacement, etc.
If the SIM chip isn't removable, then remove the battery or put paper between the batt and contacts, so it will appear dead to a casual observer. You can usually erase the call log. Take a little time to play with the phone, RTFM, and you can probably come up with solutions. I keep my hobby phone in my suitcase as my "Well, I can use it in emergencies if my regular phone dies" phone.

Gneissguy has the ticket. A bogus SIM card in a phone is a good distraction. My real SIM card is paper wrapped under a bit of cotton with aspirin on top under the normal cotton. Don't you keep a tin of aspirin always in case of a headache or chest pains?
-- Doc

Use Google Voice with an Android enabled phone and you'll never need another "throw away" hobby phone again . . .

I have often wondered where you guys hide your phones and info. I just never wanted to ask. This has been a very entertaining thread. The lengths we go to for fulfillment! It raises so many more questions for me about sexuality and human nature.

I have mine in a box full of old phones and PDA no longer in use. Kind of a "hide in plaine site" approach. SIM card is somewhere "safe" of course. Originally Posted by Dstorm

The box of old phones works great.

I still have some good phones that just need new SIM cards. I'm trying to find somewhere around Dallas to buy a SIM card without a phone and pre-paid. I need to check the various cel phone wholesalers who populate, strangely enough, an area of Dallas known for epic SW activity (Harry Hines blvd.)

Anybody have any success on where to find "just buy a SIM" deals for pre-paid?

I keep my play phone w/my laptop. For everybody I have 2 words; Google Voice.
You do not need Android, you do not need an app to access it.

You can forward that voice number to any phone. You can call "straight" from your pc/laptop if you have a mic/speakers. You can tell google to dial a number from a phone of your choice. Want to place a call from voice while on your phone? Call your voice number, let it ring, press 4, enter your 4 digit passcode, dial the number you want and done.

Cost: 00
Extra phone needed: No

I've had Voice since it was GrandCentral. It is my contact number.

I keep my play phone w/my laptop. For everybody I have 2 words; Google Voice.
You do not need Android, you do not need an app to access it.

You can forward that voice number to any phone. You can call "straight" from your pc/laptop if you have a mic/speakers. You can tell google to dial a number from a phone of your choice. Want to place a call from voice while on your phone? Call your voice number, let it ring, press 4, enter your 4 digit passcode, dial the number you want and done.

Cost: 00
Extra phone needed: No

I've had Voice since it was GrandCentral. It is my contact number. Originally Posted by babee

Yes, I also have Google voice and plan on using it with a spare phone. I just want to isolate the "fun phone" completely from my "not so fun phone".

I will second that Google Voice is incredible. Especially if you have a phone plan that let's you have "free calls from your favorites" and you just make the google voice number one of your faves.

I have so many business contacts as the nature of my job, I just make up phony names of my "keepers" and put enough info in the bogus profile I create for them to remind me which gal is which. Often they have male names in my address book.

For instance Nick Franklin is one of my favs in CBUS area: (Nicole, Franklin County)

Since the majority of my hobbying happens when traveling to do business with folks from that area, it all blends in. I delete all texts and call logs for everyone anyway, just because i have technological OCD anyway.

I keep my play phone w/my laptop. For everybody I have 2 words; Google Voice.
You do not need Android, you do not need an app to access it.

You can forward that voice number to any phone. You can call "straight" from your pc/laptop if you have a mic/speakers. You can tell google to dial a number from a phone of your choice. Want to place a call from voice while on your phone? Call your voice number, let it ring, press 4, enter your 4 digit passcode, dial the number you want and done.

Cost: 00
Extra phone needed: No

I've had Voice since it was GrandCentral. It is my contact number. Originally Posted by babee

The call blocking feature can't be beat . . .

I keep my in my pants next to 'lil bb. She NEVER looks there.

You can have more than one number ring to your phone.

www.vumber.com

Unlimited minutes......no need to carry two phone or buy additional minutes. Cost is about 5 bucks a month and you get up to three numbers.

Or, something similiar.

Hope that helps.

This is great info guys. Thanks!

The insides of a desktop computer is almost completely empty … a great place to hide things.