Let's say that someone is using an unregistered phone — I mean just a phone that he bought in another country — with a prepaid SIM card. The person is sending messages only on WhatsApp, without making any calls. After he sends the messages, he throws the SIM card away and takes the phone's battery out. Is it possible for the police to trace him?
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Log in to answerBest Answer · By JanBask Cyber Security Expert
Answered on Feb 7, 2022
The answer to your question - can prepaid phones be traced by police is that given the exact circumstances you provide, and assuming he doesn't slip up, it's low-profile enough that it's unlikely they could trace him via network activity.
However, if the phone is obtained by LE and there is some evidence the phone belongs to the perpetrator (fingerprints, found on his person, etc.), if they can break in or compel him to unlock it, the messages can always be recovered from local memory.
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