A system is provided for tracking a mobile device by enabling a user to remotely monitor the external surrounding environment of the mobile device. Initially, a mobile device is configured to selectively report on the device's surrounding environment based on one or more reporting events. Upon an occurrence of a reporting event, the mobile device generates a report by capturing at least one sensory datum related to its external surrounding environment. At least one locating datum is included in the report which can provide at least an approximate geographic location of the mobile device at the time the report is generated. Once the report is generated, the mobile device selectively sends the report to a tracking assist server, which makes the report remotely accessible to the user. Accordingly, when a mobile device is missing, a user can review one or more reports accessible on the server to determine whether the mobile device is stolen. Additionally, the at least one sensory datum provided in the one or more reports can be used to assist the user or others in identifying persons and/or objects in the surrounding environment of the mobile device, which may lead to the identification of the thief and/or recovery of the mobile device.