How a Silent Phone Nearly Cost a Family Everything

In a recent series of tweets, X user formerly known as twitter @maludofficial shared a harrowing experience involving the abduction of a family member. The incident highlights the potential dangers of sleeping with phones on silent or in Do Not Disturb (DND) mode.

According to @maludofficial, their uncle was abducted, tied up, and dropped off in a random area in Mpumalanga. The perpetrators took his car, bank cards, and phone. Fortunately, the uncle managed to find help in a local neighborhood and contacted family members.

As the criminals moved the stolen car towards Pretoria, the family faced a series of challenges. They discovered that the uncle's fiancée had her phone on silent when the tracker company attempted to reach her. The delay caused by this oversight allowed the family to intervene as they desperately tried to reach her.

I don’t like over-sharing my personal life on here but:

One of my uncles got “abducted” last night and was tied and dropped off in a random area (Mpumalanga), they took his car, bank cards, and phone. He managed to find a local neighbourhood and get help there where he called my… https://t.co/NveyEuUjVv

— 𝙄𝙣𝙟𝙖 𝙠𝙖 𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙒𝙞𝙘𝙠 (@maludaofficial) December 17, 2023

Despite the criminals' attempts to remove the tracker, the tracker company was alerted, giving the family a crucial window to react. Unfortunately, the car was ultimately found stripped of its belongings.

Also answer unkown numbers could be someone you know in trouble using a strungers phone

— mahlabangani thand (@SibuhleM) December 17, 2023

>This incident serves as a stark reminder to the X community about the importance of keeping phones accessible, especially when serving as potential emergency contacts. The article emphasizes the potential consequences of not being reachable during critical situations and encourages readers to reconsider their phone habits, particularly when it comes to silent or DND settings.

In an era where smartphones are integral to our safety and communication, this cautionary tale from @maludofficial underscores the need for vigilance and responsiveness, even in the seemingly mundane act of setting one's phone to silent.