If only this could work for all BlackBerry devices in North America. I found this over at the recently rejuvenated BerryReporter: BlackBerry ER. It’s an application which helps recover your BlackBerry device if it is stolen. If it’s lost, not so much, but the application takes advantage of a common criminal ploy. See, after your BlackBerry is stolen (or found and not reported), the first thing many criminals do is replace the SIM card. This gives them new IMSI and phone numbers. With BlackBerry ER, you can use that SIM swap to your advantage, helping you to file an accurate police report and recover your device.
A SIM swap is what triggers the BlackBerry ER application. It will send the new phone number and IMSI number to a designated backup cell phone. Even better, it transmits the phone’s location using the internal GPS capability (either via the SIM or GSM chip). With this information in hand you can file an accurate police report, which will aid in the device’s recovery. Conceivably you could just go and recover it yourself, but that is not something we at BBGeeks can endorse.
The more valuable the data on your BlackBerry, the more valuable BlackBerry ER can be for you. This is especially true if a criminal could benefit from the information therein. That means recovery of the device is essential. BlackBerry ER makes that a lot easier.
On the downside, if the criminal just wants to resell the device, there’s a chance he or she wipes it before inserting a new SIM, rendering BlackBerry ER useless. It’s a chance you might want to take, though. Unfortunately, CDMA users cannot reap the benefits of this application.
You can get BlackBerry ER for $9.97 until September 11 at the BBGeeks Store.
