Even Pre-Paid Mobile Phones Aren’t Safe

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Criminals and terrorists cannot ALWAYS hide behind prepaid phones. That fact became clear when Cambria County, Pennsylvania police quickly tracked the individual who placed a bomb in the county courthouse.

The individual called the court to warn of the bomb and allow for an orderly evacuation. Even before the court was completely evacuated, the 911 dispatch center, Ebensburg Borough Police Department, and Cambria County Sheriff’s Department all knew that the call came from a prepaid phone purchased at the Richland Township Wal-Mart. With the prompt help of Verizon and Wal-Mart, the suspect was nabbed.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

Government Technology reports that upon receiving the call, the dispatch center was able to identify the phone carrier, and within minutes Verizon confirmed that the phone was purchased at a Wal-Mart at 4.40 a.m.

According to HLS News Wire while county and judicial officials evacuated the courthouse, authorities went to Wal-Mart to review the security tape, which confirmed who purchased the phone.