Stolen Cell Phone?

[rasdasa]

How do I check if a cell phone is in fact stolen? There is a guy at school trying to cell(haha) one. I figure you have to use the s/n #, but where would I go to check the s/n validity?

Any help would be appreciated, thank ya!

ras

[Composter]

if you can get the S/N just call the provider to see if it is the right persons phone.

[rasdasa]

Thanks Composter, will do.

[HowEver]

The serial number may be called an "IMEI" on the phone. That's what you need. But they aren't always registered.

Chances are if you have a good reason to think the phone is stolen, it probably is. But it won't affect you're using it.

It should, though, affect your conscience. Find another seller.

[spm24]

if its a phone that takes a simcard you can get them unlocked and still use them . i remember i used to have a simcard phone under fido and i never registered it and even swapped handsets and it still worked. if any of my phones were questionable i duno but i do know that fido never bothered to check.

[Narci]

Does the phone come with a charger? haha

[samchez]

MyPhoneSafe.com database for stole phones.

from GSMarena.com (http://www.gsmarena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5149&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0)

Fight the mobile crime!


MyPhoneSafe.com register is a useful tool helping you to protect your mobile phone from being stolen and sold and to spot the origin of a phone by its unique identification number (called IMEI).

If your phone is stolen you just mark it as stolen so it will immediately become blacklisted.

Anybody in the world can easily verify here whether a phone has been reported stolen. This is particularly important for a potential purchaser. Registering your own phone in the myPhoneSafe.com database increases its chance to be found.

Log on now and register your mobile phone.

[rasdasa]

Appreciate the replys folks. I went to a Rogers Plus store and they said they have no way of figuring out whether or not it's stolen until I try to initialize service with a providor again... *cough* bull ****...

[HowEver]

Appreciate the replys folks. I went to a Rogers Plus store and they said they have no way of figuring out whether or not it's stolen until I try to initialize service with a providor again... *cough* bull ****...

It's true. Otherwise, you could grab any IMEI, go into their stores or call them on the phone, and ask away all day. It only really makes a difference if you are signing up for service. Then they'll have to say whether or not the phone has been blacklisted--if they keep such a list at all anyways.

[Supershyguy]

There are a lot of stolen phones out there with a clean IMEI Number.

chances are you even if you check the IMEI number it will still be clean. even if its in fact stolen

[rasdasa]

Well alright then, I guess it's time for me to give this puppy a shot...
See if I can get lucky with a good plan.
Once again, thanks for the answers.

[corrupt123]

if it's a GSM phone is can stiull be used, stolen or not.

I dont think fido/rogers has blacklisted a phone from service for years. The IMEI might be flagged, but nothing's stopping you from just dropping in the SIM and using it.

[MYT13]

Say someone offers you a phone in a box and but u have a feeling its stolen buts its is cheap...will u be caught if you put in a new sim and registered the phone with the provider. Or would it better to use a sim from a an old phone.

Thanks

[romano]

if it's a GSM phone is can stiull be used, stolen or not.

I dont think fido/rogers has blacklisted a phone from service for years. The IMEI might be flagged, but nothing's stopping you from just dropping in the SIM and using it.

Rogers/Fido does not do IMEI blacklisting for phones stolen from clients. At all. There is not way to disable or blacklist a GSM phone in Canada.

Rogers/Fido have begun blacklisting phones stolen from THEM (ie: stolen from a Rogers Store in a break&enter), but have no plans to extend this to clients. The headaches of dealing with stolen/lost phone blacklisting are far too high to be bothered with.

If you "find" a random Rogers/Fido phone, toss in a new sim card and you're good to go. No way for Rogers/Fido to "track" you down or for you to get into trouble...

Telus/Bell phones, on the other hand, are useless and easily disabled if stolen/lost. So please don't steal my Telus phone :)