How would you react if you find out that your mobile phone is stolen? Panic and a mad rush to block your number and trace your phone would be the first on your priority list. But have you ever wondered what goes on in the thief’s mind?
Film student Anthony van der Meer lost his iPhone. Though he felt angry over the loss of his valuable possession, he wanted to know the other side of the story too. Curious of who steals the phones and what happens to them eventually, Anthony got his other phone stolen, on purpose.
He installed a hidden application, Cerberus, on the device so that he could record everything that the thief did. He tracked the phone through the application whenever it was connected to the Internet. He accessed not just the thief’s location, but also the contents and features of the device. Thereby he could hear the thief’s phone calls, read his messages, and also record audio and video.
“After my phone got stolen, I quickly realized just how much of my personal information and data the thief had instantly obtained. So, I let another phone get stolen. This time my phone was pre-programmed with spyware so I could keep tabs on the thief in order to get to know him. However, to what extent is it possible to truly get to know someone by going through the content of their phone,” Anthony said.
What Anthony uncovered about the man was unexpected, thrilling as well as disturbing.
Over the course of the next two weeks, the film student secretly compiled the footage found from the phone into a compelling 21-minute documentary – Find my Phone.
Have a look at the 21-minute video to see what Anthony found out in his over two weeks of investigation.
