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Found phone, no one claimed, now mine, how to activate so that I can unlock and fix

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ifoundit

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Hi guys, serious question here, with backstory to explain how I came across this phone.

I found a very badly beat up 4s--almost like someone had done it on purpose. It looked like it had been run over by a truck, left in the rain, and then someone tried to take it apart and peeled off one side of glass, but gave up and left it outside half mangled as garbage. I kept it at my place of employment (where it was found) waiting 60 days for anyone to inquire about it or claim it, but no one ever did. I charged it and left it on in case someone wanted to locate it.

The display was shot, shards of glass everywhere on front and back, screws exposed with rust etc. I only knew it had some semblance of life left because once I charged it and turned it on, I could hear the audio clicking on and off of the lock button. When no one claimed it, I decided I was going to try to salvage it since I knew atleast it was sort of working, even if I couldn't see the screen. After cleaning everything I could with solvent, I realized there was very minimal display and restored the phone to my Itunes. The display is not lit at all--I can only see the screen barely if it's a light background, like in the Settings tab, and if I'm holding the phone at an angle in direct sunlight. I have discovered that it is on the Verizon network and I have verified that IMEI hasn't been reported as lost or stolen.

My question is this--if I don't have Verizon, but my SO does, will activating this phone be as simple as putting their current Verizon microSIM in the phone and connecting it to my or their iTunes? Will it mess up their service with Verizon in any way? My SO is willing to let me try to activate the phone with their microSIM, and then I plan to then try to unlock it with a GPP to use on my GSM network.

I plan on giving my SO's microSIM back immediately after to put right back into their Verizon IPhone. I just want to be sure I don't mess up my SO's phone service in the process. Similarly, I also don't want to pay $120+ to have the screen and back glass fixed unless I know I can get it to work on my network. Basically, the big problem is that I cannot unlock the Verizon 4s with GPP to use on my network because it isn't even activated yet, and I am not on Verizon's service to activate it.

Input regarding what I can do to get this phone activated or working or in any way able to be unlocked with GPP would be great. I can provide more details, but my knowledge of phone technology is pretty limited. Thank you in advance!!
 
Seeing as its a Verizon based 4s it is locked to Verizon in the US. That means you can not activate it on a GSM carrier with in the US( ATT or T-mobile). But you can get the sim card unlocked and use a foreign sim, like O2 in the UK while traveling abroad.

Beamed From the white sun in the S4 Galaxy.
 
You'd have to get the internals checked out first. From what you've said, the damage could've made the device unusable because of broken components. Before investing in an unlock for the phone, I'd say to see whether or not it's salvageable.
 
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