Lost/stolen phone - screaming cell phones

Screaming Cell Phone? Please view this thread: http://cellphoneforums.net/general-c...ll-phones.html

I just got a cell phone a couple weeks ago, of course I lost it, or it was
stolen, whatever, after a week. I was under the impression, after some
searching, that the serial number of the phone is tied to my account, and
that if anyone tries to use the phone, even if changing the sim card,
wouldn't be able to because the serial # is used during when hooking up with
the service. But after talking to a couple customer service representatives,
I'm not so confident in that, one CS says if they change the sim card they
can use the phone, the other says it will be flagged by the fraud
department. Can anyone clear this up a little more for me? I was under the
impression that any cell phone was tied to a specific account, and could
only be used for that account, independant of the sim card, for anything
other than a 911 call, and this was for theft purposes because the police
couldn't handle all the lost/stolen cell phone problems. Thanks to anyone
helping me out here.

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› See More: Lost/stolen phone - screaming cell phones

Sorry about that, you have the wrong impression. It is true that
non-GSM phones that do not use a sim card are "locked" in to a carrier
(to a degree...Verizon, Sprint, etc.) but any GSM "unlocked" phone can
be used by anybody with a SIM card on any GSM network.

If you peruse these boards you will find that it is NOT very hard to
unlock any GSM phone...

Good Luck, SFB


Tom wrote:
> I just got a cell phone a couple weeks ago, of course I lost it, or it was
> stolen, whatever, after a week. I was under the impression, after some
> searching, that the serial number of the phone is tied to my account, and
> that if anyone tries to use the phone, even if changing the sim card,
> wouldn't be able to because the serial # is used during when hooking up with
> the service. But after talking to a couple customer service representatives,
> I'm not so confident in that, one CS says if they change the sim card they
> can use the phone, the other says it will be flagged by the fraud
> department. Can anyone clear this up a little more for me? I was under the
> impression that any cell phone was tied to a specific account, and could
> only be used for that account, independant of the sim card, for anything
> other than a 911 call, and this was for theft purposes because the police
> couldn't handle all the lost/stolen cell phone problems. Thanks to anyone
> helping me out here.
>
>

As far as I know all networks have the potential to bar a GSM phone from
the network. Part of the registration process when the phone is
switched on is to check for a valid IMEI (international mobile
equipment identity). This is an electronic serial number which should
be checked by the network, in the case of reported lost or stolen
phones. If you have the original box for the phone, it's normally
marked on there. In Europe it's an offence to change this in the phone
and in many cases is impossible to do (having tried to do this after
flash programming a phone, as part of my job, for a well known phone
manufacturer!!!)
If you had the phone you could check this by entering *#06# SEND.
Now here's the bad bit - many networks do not check the IMEI in
practise. The only network that I know does for sure is the ACeS
satellite network in Asia.
I believe CDMA phones have an equivalent ESN (electronic serial number)
which does the same thing.
Regards
Kevbert.


--
Kevbert

Stolen U.S. phones are easily activated abroad. New phones have the serial
number in a portion of the memory that will withstand a reflash. Phones
eighteen months or older do not necessarily thsi protection. Stolen phones
are regularly shipped to Eastern Europe and Africa.

Stu

"Kevbert" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> As far as I know all networks have the potential to bar a GSM phone from
> the network. Part of the registration process when the phone is
> switched on is to check for a valid IMEI (international mobile
> equipment identity). This is an electronic serial number which should
> be checked by the network, in the case of reported lost or stolen
> phones. If you have the original box for the phone, it's normally
> marked on there. In Europe it's an offence to change this in the phone
> and in many cases is impossible to do (having tried to do this after
> flash programming a phone, as part of my job, for a well known phone
> manufacturer!!!)
> If you had the phone you could check this by entering *#06# SEND.
> Now here's the bad bit - many networks do not check the IMEI in
> practise. The only network that I know does for sure is the ACeS
> satellite network in Asia.
> I believe CDMA phones have an equivalent ESN (electronic serial number)
> which does the same thing.
> Regards
> Kevbert.
>
>
> --
> Kevbert