VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada city police on Wednesday traced and recovered as many as 628 lost mobile phones worth around Rs 1 crore using ‘Chat Bot’ helpline. Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) Adhiraj Singh Rana and Kanchi Srinivasa Rao handed over the mobile phones to the owners.
Addressing the media, DCP Adhiraj Singh Rana informed that after the initiation of the helpline in June last year, the police had recovered around 1,000 lost mobile phones so far and were handed over to the respective owners.
He appealed the people to make use of the helpline and dedicated mobile application to trace missing or lost phones. “Following verification of details, the recovered phones will be promptly handed over to their owners,” he said.
The ‘ChatBot’ helpline was launched to simplify the process for residents to report lost mobile phones without physically visiting a police station, a move directed by DGP Kasireddy Rajendranath Reddy.
To report a lost mobile, complainants need to send a ‘Hi’ message to the ChatBot number 9440627057 via WhatsApp. Immediately, the user will receive a link which redirects them to a web portal where they need to provide details such as name, address, IMEI number of the lost mobile, and its last known location. These details are then forwarded to the Cybercrime police, where a specialised team uses the provided IMEI number to trace the location and other particulars of the lost phones.