There is no way that we can live without a mobile phone nowadays. Every night, at least the alarm function has to be set before we go to bed. Today’s topic is going to be about the importance of numbers that allow us to get to know our mobile phones better. Now, you can try to flip your phone and take a look if there is any line of 15 digits at the back cover of your phone – or what we call the IMEI number.
Your IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. Think of it as your phone's fingerprint — it's a 15-digit number unique to each device. Phone carriers and manufacturers share IMEI numbers to enable tracking of smartphones that may be stolen or compromised. The number can also be used to track a stolen, or lost, phone; which is why it is useful to know your IMEI number; you never know when you might need it! Mobile phone companies also use the phone's IMEI number to match the phone to their network.
The police can use IMEI numbers to put stolen phones onto a blacklist, this makes stolen phones extremely difficult to sell on official websites in the US. It is important to take this into consideration when buying second-hand phones! If you are buying a phone from someone you do not know you should ask them for the phone's IMEI number to ensure that the phone has not been stolen and that the seller is legit.
In a growing number of countries, operators enable consumers to report a mobile phone or device as lost or stolen using the device’s unique identity number, the IMEI. The operator can block the phone from their mobile network, which is called IMEI blacklisting. Participating operators have an up-to-date Device Check database which contains the IMEI for devices reported as stolen or lost, as well as the device model and capabilities.
The most convenient way to find the IMEI number is to dial *#06# on your phone. This method works with both iPhone and Android and any other phone.
*A dual-SIM phone will have 2 sets of IMEI numbers
Keep your IMEI number private
Now it’ll show on your screen! It is a good idea to write this number down somewhere safe, just to be on the safe side. For security reasons, the IMEI number must not be shown publicly. Otherwise, it is a high risk that the number will fall into the hands of fraudsters for scamming or bad purposes. Jump below to What is an IMEI Scam?
A serial number is a unique number assigned by the manufacturer for organizing and tracking their inventory. There is no fixed format of a serial number because the manufacturers create their format including the length and type of characters.
An IMEI is a standard format of 15-digits numbers assigned for international usage to identify the devices and check whether a specific phone has a clean IMEI or not, which means no lost/stolen reports.
The ESN (Electronic Serial Number) is a unique number used to identify mobile devices. The ESN is for CDMA devices, while IMEI is for GSM devices. Learn more about the differences between CDMA & GSM.
You have to call your network provider to report the matter. Only the network provider can add the reported IMEI number to the blacklist. Once the smartphone is on the blacklist, it is blocked from accessing any services from the network carrier.
If the phone was found, you can report back to the carrier to have it removed from the blacklist. Once the request has been processed, you will be able to access the provider’s service again.
*Now if you know that your phone has actually been stolen and there is no way of getting it back and you are unable to contact your service provider. You can use UnlimitedUNLOCK GSM BLACKLIST - [IMEI BLACKLIST] service.
- THIS SERVICE WILL MAKE YOUR IMEI BLACKLISTED WORLDWIDE IN THE GSMA DATABASE! Once the IMEI is BLACKLISTED it Can Not be reversed and the phone will be useless (bricked). Our system will return the unlock code status as "DONE | BLACKLISTED"! It can take 24-72 Hours to appear blacklisted in the GSMA database.
The IMEI number can be found physically on your device.
In case your phone is lost/stolen, you can find the IMEI number within the box that came with the smartphone.
It is the fraudulent use of the IMEI number by scammers. Scammers like to do phone cloning, which can lead to identity theft. Information will be intercepted from the original phone and sent over to the cloned phone. In other cases, the scammer will use to make phone calls or send text messages which will incur a bill that you as the consumer has to pay.
If you decided to purchase a used phone online, make sure to first read the reviews of the store.
If you purchase it in person, you can check the phone’s validity beforehand to avoid getting an IMEI-Locked phone.
You can ask the re-seller for the IMEI number of the phone to verify that it has not been reported lost or stolen and verify that is not network locked. However, it is the seller’s decision to hand out an IMEI, as it is a risk as mentioned above.
Summing up, every cell phone user will be able to check the IMEI number by themselves either by dialing the dedicated number or checking it in the menu settings on the phone. As it is the universal number used to identify the phone, it can be used to report a lost or stolen phone. With the plenty of IMEI checker available online, your work will be easy and quick. This is very helpful when buying a used phone – you can easily avoid buying a phone that has been reported lost or stolen. And now, do you know your IMEI number?
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