Mythbuster: IMEI Blocking cannot Protect your Lost Phone
The following is a precautionary issue for our readers and subscribers.
From multiple sources, online and offline, we recently came to know about a common illegal trend that is afoot in several cities in India and is gaining momentum with time. Here’s a recap of a news related to this trend:
A software engineer was apprehended by Mumbai police officials for changing the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of mobile handsets. The accused is known to run a mobile store, and to have performed similar modifications on several handsets before he was caught red-handed by the police. He was charged under various sections of Information Technology Act. Changing or tampering with the IMEI number of a device is considered unlawful. You can read more about this news here
Now, Why Are We Informing Our Readers About This?
The IMEI number is a unique number assigned to your phone by its manufacturer. This number is used by GSM networks to identify your device.
Why is IMEI Number Important?
– When a mobile device is lost or stolen, its IMEI number can be blacklisted by the service provider to prevent the device from connecting to any network. [The deployment of this service depends on the operator’s discretion, and its availability in the country of residence]
– The IMEI number might come in handy for the police to trace lost or stolen phones to their original owners.
– Discourages sale of lost or stolen phones as legal secondhand devices.
But IMEI Number can be Changed by Easily Available Equipment
Blocking the IMEI number of a stolen device won’t help if the number itself gets changed after theft.
So, in a scenario like this, IMEI blocking is of no help in protecting lost or stolen mobile devices from being misused or resold as second hand equipment. A better alternative would be a mobile tracker that can show the device’s location on a map. An added advantage would be a feature that can allow users to remotely lock their phone and protect its files and other information from being misused.
Quick Heal Mobile Security products have been designed keeping in mind the risk of mobile theft and loss. Its anti-theft technology lets you:
1. Remotely lock your phone
2. Remotely erase its data
3. Track its location on a map
4. Capture audio and video of the phone’s surrounding area
5. Receive notifications if the SIM of the lost phone is changed
Learn more about the above features that can help protect your phone.
To conclude, there are many websites that claim to track lost devices through their IMEI numbers. IMEI locking is a procedure that involves the law and enforcement and cannot be carried out merely with the help of the Internet.