What is Digg?89 Comments
- theRIAA, on 10/12/2007, -1/+28thats why i take a landline phone with me everyware I go
- heavyd14, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16If it doesn't work on your phone, or it just goes away too fast or whatever, you can just look under your battery for the same number. Besides, your service provider already knows this number, and would be able to look it up.
- nicklinus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11or you could just take the back cover off of your phone and read the number!
- veloscaper, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12lol, you can't change your IMEI that easily, especially with newer phones.
- kawai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Lame article, just jot down your IMEI (GSM) or ESN (CDMA) number that's on the back of your phone, if you bought your phone from your provider, they probably have that on the file anyways...
- mck9235, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Cool, the key sequence won't work on my Motorola E815.
- mrinternet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7IMEI numbers are nothing new, it is the basics of all mobile phone security in the world.
However the flaw is when a phone is stolen and shipped to a country that doesn't respect the IMEI database (e.g. lots of Africa and Russia for instance). However if it stays in the country it is work keeping note of it. Yes some companies keep record of it but others do not especially if a phone is sold outright or you transfer a phone to another service.
Sometimes it is a courtesy only. There are also phone hacks to unlock IMEI blocking but there is a new level of security coming soon to the UK then the US that offers global blocking on an onboard chip (better than IMEI). - Cymrubeats, on 10/12/2007, -8/+15It's not true anyway....they can disable that specific imei number, but all you have to do is flash another in with a data cable (all phones nowadays either come with one for uploading pics etc to your comp or you can buy one cheap anyway.)
- nevrar, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Actually, Cymrubeats has a fair point
IMEI numbers can be altered on phones (new and old) fairly easily with serial cables and some software (which ultimately means that blocking your phone through the IMEI number is not always going to stop people using the phone). In the UK, it is now illegal to change the number. However, this doesn't stop criminals changing them though :-( - veloscaper, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9code is for GSM phones only, which is just one of the many reasons why GSM is better than CDMA for users.
- nogami, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4A lot of service providers (at least in North America) also don't honor IMEI blacklists (they don't really care if your phone is being used, as long as whoever stole it isn't making calls the company can't bill you for). Or if they DO blacklist the IMEI, it's only for their own network, and a criminal only has to register the handset on a different network and away they go.
And as was mentioned, it's not difficult to change IMEIs in lots of phones. - cfazzini, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I just recently had my phone stolen, and when I went to get my new one activated, the lady at the Cingular store specifically mentioned my IMEI number being disabled. I was pretty happy about that.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4just check settings- phone info, or the barcode beneath the battery
- e30user, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4It's just a quote from the article. In context it reads more like, providers know about this procedure, but choose to keep quiet about it.
- idmclaren, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yes, exactly.
Also, some cellular companies don't blacklist the IMEIs even if they ARE reported stolen. Rogers Wireless in Canada for instance, I have heard, does not blacklist the IMEIs. Also, most companies do record your IMEI when you purchase your phone, and would be able to locate it in your customer profile. This tip, at least in North America, is completely useless. - AICkieran, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Not really with new phones as much, The chips that hold the IMEI is OTP, You can change the chip, but the software checks it, You can stop that too but its not viable, Costs too much
- synd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Your phone doesn't have a SIM card anyway.
- subtle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Dude, did you fall on your head?
- dylan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I thought this was common knowledge, anyway if the key sequence doesn't work as mentioned above you can also check under the battery or you can look on the box that your phone came in, there will be a sticker with the IMEI on it.
- sogracefully, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5OR, get pink faceplates and cover the thing with hello kitty stickers, and drastically reduce your chances of theft in the first place. not many males can even be within a foot of a pink hello kitty-emblazoned anything without becoming vastly mortified, so i figure i'm only in trouble if my potential cellphone thief is an adolescent girl.
- macslut, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This is retarded. Even the person who submitted TFA didn't RTFA. It says clearly that this is "superfluous". Call your service provider as soon as you realize the phone has been stolen. This will deactivate the phone and all the thief will be left with is a phone that needs activation or the sim card to be replaced. Considering that phones are cheap or free with activation there's very little point in stealing a phone other than to make free calls until it's been reported.
- starsky51, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4this has nothing to do with sim cards. the IMEI number is like the MAC address on your NIC card. it is unique to the handset. As long as the networks block that IMEI, the handset is useless.
- bowdie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Dunno about the companies keeping it secret. There's a page of my UK Orange Nokia 6630 manual where they suggest you write this number down incase it gets stolen.
There was a big push from the gov here about doing exactly that. http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/streetcrime09.htm - gti8v, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I'd be more worried about someone making calls with the sim card and racking up charges outside your plan.
- tokyopimp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I lost my phone (assumed someone picked it up) and disabled it, without having to give Verizon any special number.
I think any good phone company would not trouble you (with special numbers) to disable you're number if you report it stolen. Verizon doesn't. - wampl3r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This is just a standard GSM codes.. One of the coolest codes I used was to increase the amount of time to wait before my phone forwards to voice mail (*61)... Here's a bigger list if anyone's interested...
http://web.telia.com/~u47904776/gsmkode.htm
or
http://www.geckobeach.com/cellular/secrets/gsmcodes.php
P.S. Don't break your phone by blindly typing them in! - tizz66, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Quote: " * Although there is a small black market for stolen handsets, cell phone theft is overwhelmingly a theft of service — thieves don't really want your handset (cell phones are so cheap and ubiquitous that hot phones aren't worth much); they want to use your wireless service to make free calls and stick you with the bill."
That's so wrong. Phones are stolen by gangs, and they are shipped to (usually) African countries where they are resold. For very petty thieves it may be a case of free calls, but generally it isn't so. - aroot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3oh wow- somebody said "Verizon" and "good phone company" in the same sentence!
- bonky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2you didn't have to give Verizon that number because they already have it on file. It's called the ESN number, and it's how they make that handset work with your phone number.
Their systems also automatically flag that ESN number as lost/stolen, if the rep suspends your service using the right reason codes... Sometimes you have to ask though.
And for GODS SAKE be nice when you call. They're just some sad, sad person making minimum wage in an unpleasant call center somewhere. - digiital, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Don't bother with Rogers in Canada. No way they block phones, just SIMs
- petard, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4First of all this is for GSM phones only. Second is, a lot of providers do not offer this service. I know all of the ones in the USA do not do it, heck, they probably would like it when somebody in a contract loses their phone! They make more money off that person and the theif might sign up with the stole phone! More business for them!
- geekchic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The operators are not "keeping this quiet" - there has been a significant advertising campaign in the UK for example to encourage people to make a note of their IMEI.
Also, the operators can pull the IMEI of the handset that last made a call on your account as it is logged in the HLR each time a call authentication is made. - EddieW, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2this is daft, everryone knows about it and it was made a bit thing of in the uk like the guy above said! ^
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Nothing like a good ol' rom flash. Honestly, there is nothing you can do to stop an intelligent theif.
The most this will do is stop all the people "losing" their phones on insurance plans. - fatdog789, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is quite pointless in the US, as all US network providers already store the phone's serial number when you buy the phone. Unless you're using your own phone, you just call them up and tell them you're phone's been stolen.
Plus... the serial number is almost always on the back of the phone, under the battery (for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, don't know about the rest). - PrometheuZ, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This isn't necessary for Verizon at least. Just call Verizon, report it lost and that's that.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It didn't work with my Razr V3c Verizon.
- Nells, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2And by the way, they tell you in the article to spread the word to the most people you can, lol
- cyberdork, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1As far as I know in Germany it's the same. While the providers could block stolen phones they just don't do it. After all, they even profit from every phone that's stolen.
- emostar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Wow, you still have a N251 series? Didn't those come out like 4 years ago?
- rick2k, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2exactly this is completely rubbish
- cutter78, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1worthless information (read the entire article!)
- nate8, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1serial numbers can be found under the battery. They are needed to activate cell phones. I've worked with Sprint/Verizon/Cingular/Nextel and they all have numbers known as ESNs or IMEIs. Call up your provider, say your phone was stolen. That was easy, eh?
- agilligan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Most (if not all) phone companies actively encourage people to take note of their IMEI number for the specific purpose of blocking a stolen phone. They're hardly "keeping it quiet".
http://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobilesafety - just one example. - NikZane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Blech.. double post, sorry. Digg down.
- kraemate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I dont think this story is anything 'new' or 'exciting'.
IMEI identification is the most basic way to block your phone- a fact which is almost as old as GSM itself. - madeingermany, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Has anybody successfully gotten an American Carrier to block an IMEI?
Doesn't sound like anything they like to do.... - NikZane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Good god... we were futzing about with these codes on our Nokia 3210's in like '95 or something! Rubbish submission. No digg.
- CTSPatrick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I imagine all this does is if I report the serial of my unlocked Moto L7 SLVR (this trick worked BTW for it) to T-mobile, they will just simply air kill the phone off of the T-mobile network and it will not work with T-mobile after that. Would this go with all the GSM networks or just one?
- subtle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Another genius!
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