Bulk Cell Phone Purchases

[Towntalk]

THE SAGINAW NEWS - 8/19/06
Gladwin police questioned a 28-year-old Russian man and a 19-year-old man after they bought 61 prepaid cell phones from a Gladwin Family Dollar store at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday.
"They didn't do anything wrong, so we let them go," said Gladwin Police Chief Charles Jones. "Right now -- since the information that came out about the Mackinac Bridge -- people are calling about everyone who buys a cell phone."
.....
Last Friday afternoon -- less than a day after authorities arrested the three men in Caro -- Thompson said a suspect driving a silver car stopped at a Dollar General outlet and attempted to buy prepaid cell phones. A sales clerk turned the man away because he wanted to buy more than the store's limit. He became upset and left with at least one other man, Thompson said.
Wednesday, the clerk reported that one of the men returned to the store around noon and bought two more prepaid cell phones. Thompson said the clerk called police two hours later but authorities weren't able to apprehend the men.

Houston Chronicle  Aug. 16, 2006
He said that such prepaid phones cost the companies that make them around $80 to $100. They then sell the phones for less — $20 to $70 — in hopes that customers will continue to load more minutes onto the phone, making the company money.
.....
A Dallas Police Department spokeswoman said that they have been alerted by clerks from time to time because of large prepaid cell purchases, but there is nothing illegal about that in itself.
Still, untraceable prepaid cell phones at least have the potential for illegal use, said Bob Jarvis, a professor of constitutional law at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"Because prepaid cell phones are untraceable it has become a very favored means of communication for organized crime and other people who are up to no good, including terrorists," Jarvis said.

[AllanY2525]

There was a television series called "The Wire" about the drug trade in the inner-city section
of old Baltimore, MD.  The drug dealers called these disposable, prepaid cell phones as
"burners".  By using them, it made it extremely difficult for the narcotics task force to
keep up with their wireless communications with listening posts.

Youngstown should be VERY, VERY wary of ANY individual attempting to purchase
large quantities of these cheap, disposable cellular phones.

[jay]

I talked to someone yesterday who said that some Youngstown area discount stores have also reported attempts by individuals to purchase large numbers of cell phones.   The store management responded by limiting phone purchases to two units. 

I wonder if the police are investigating those who are trying to buy these phones.