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  1. #1
    Periproct
    Guest
    Just a quicky.

    Thinking of getting a new phone and maybe using Ebay which means I may have
    to get it unlocked. I see there are websites (http://www.imei-check.co.uk/
    is one I've found) I can send my IMEI to or take it to the little shop on
    the high street.

    What are the chances of of my phone being cloned if I pass my IMEI on to
    other people? Any thoughts?

    Regards, Nigel





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  2. #2
    John
    Guest

    Re: IMEI


    "Periproct" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > Just a quicky.
    >
    > Thinking of getting a new phone and maybe using Ebay which means I may
    > have to get it unlocked. I see there are websites
    > (http://www.imei-check.co.uk/ is one I've found) I can send my IMEI to or
    > take it to the little shop on the high street.
    >
    > What are the chances of of my phone being cloned if I pass my IMEI on to
    > other people? Any thoughts?
    >
    > Regards, Nigel
    >

    That's why people want the numbers! Think about it.
    Very easy to change the IMEI. Mobile networks know exactly who is using a
    stolen phone but disconnecting it will cause a loss of revenue so they
    ignore it most of the time.
    They keep lists of which phone numbers are used with IMEI numbers and can if
    they want, or when forced by police/court order cross reference numbers.
    Don't be a fool and buy a phone off an auction site - you will find it
    blocked within weeks after the owner makes his theft report and insists it
    is blocked before his insurance upgrade!
    If you are not concerned post your IMEI and number here.





  3. #3
    Gwyn
    Guest

    Re: IMEI

    On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:34:19 +0100, "Periproct"
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    >What are the chances of of my phone being cloned if I pass my IMEI on to
    >other people? Any thoughts?


    You've got to be joking right, theres *every* chance that it is gonna
    be cloned or they might take you out and change it to locked thereby
    ****ing you for *all* networks just a thought
    --
    Gwyn. [email protected]
    Remove rem if replying



  4. #4
    Jon
    Guest

    Re: IMEI

    [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    > What are the chances of of my phone being cloned if I pass my IMEI on to
    > other people?


    Close to zero.

    > Any thoughts?


    1. If a crim wanted to change a phone's IMEI he or she could just pick
    one at random.
    2. Companies offering remote unlocking services are not going to want to
    get a bad reputation.

    --
    Regards
    Jon



  5. #5
    Jon
    Guest

    Re: IMEI

    [email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
    > That's why people want the numbers! Think about it.


    I have. You are talking cobblers.

    > Very easy to change the IMEI.


    Not so.

    > Mobile networks know exactly who is using a stolen phone


    Even in the case of un-registered prepay SIMs? I'd like to know how.

    > but disconnecting it will cause a loss of revenue so they
    > ignore it most of the time.


    That also is shash. When a phone is reported lost or stolen it's IMEI is
    barred. How is that "ignoring it most of time"?

    > They keep lists of which phone numbers are used with IMEI numbers and can if
    > they want, or when forced by police/court order cross reference numbers.


    Which doesn't mean anything unless there's a real name and address
    attached to it.

    > Don't be a fool and buy a phone off an auction site - you will find it
    > blocked within weeks after the owner makes his theft report and insists it
    > is blocked before his insurance upgrade!


    Insurance usually replaces like for like. Buying phones off eBay is not
    without risk but if one is sensible it's perfectly fine. For example,
    check the sellers feedback - if it's zero or very low then steer clear.

    > If you are not concerned post your IMEI and number here.


    I posted an IMEI of one of my handsets a long while ago (and we're
    talking several years ago when it really was easy to change IMEI
    numbers) to disprove the exact same point that you are trying to make,
    it's still working.
    --
    Regards
    Jon



  6. #6
    dave @ stejonda
    Guest

    Re: IMEI

    In message <[email protected]>, John
    <[email protected]> writes
    >Don't be a fool and buy a phone off an auction site - you will find it
    >blocked within weeks after the owner makes his theft report and insists
    >it is blocked before his insurance upgrade! If you are not concerned
    >post your IMEI and number here.


    Alternatively you'll find, as we did when we bought a "Brand new &
    perfect condition" N80 from shelley74shelley that a corner will be
    dented, the fascia scratched, there'll be a folder on the memory card
    called PORN, the charger will die in a week and the battery will need
    replacing after a month! (But it hasn't been blocked ... yet!)

    --
    dave @ stejonda



  7. #7
    dave @ stejonda
    Guest

    Re: IMEI

    In message <[email protected]>, Jon
    <[email protected]> writes
    >Buying phones off eBay is not without risk but if one is sensible it's
    >perfectly fine. For example, check the sellers feedback - if it's zero
    >or very low then steer clear.


    or, if the seller doesn't usually sell phones - avoid

    --
    dave @ stejonda



  8. #8
    Iain
    Guest

    Re: IMEI

    Periproct wrote:

    > What are the chances of of my phone being cloned if I pass my IMEI on to
    > other people? Any thoughts?


    Effectively, no chance at all. It is very difficult to change the IMEI
    of a handset, but quite easy to make a 'valid' IMEI up.

    By changing the IMEI they would be trying to avoid a stolen handset from
    being barred by the network, but even if this did happen, this would not
    stop your phone working: it is the unique identity of the sim card that
    indicates who pays for the call, not the IMEI of the handset.

    What could go wrong is that someone copies your handset's IMEI and then
    reports the handset stolen, which could lead to both handsets with the
    IMEI being barred, but I've never heard of that happening.





  9. #9
    Mark Hewitt
    Guest

    Re: IMEI


    "dave @ stejonda" <no$spam!delete&abuse%[email protected]> wrote in
    message news:[email protected]...
    > In message <[email protected]>, Jon
    > <[email protected]> writes
    >>Buying phones off eBay is not without risk but if one is sensible it's
    >>perfectly fine. For example, check the sellers feedback - if it's zero or
    >>very low then steer clear.

    >
    > or, if the seller doesn't usually sell phones - avoid


    Or what about the likes of myself who sells on ebay maybe once a year?





  10. #10
    ChrisM
    Guest

    Re: IMEI

    In message [email protected],
    dave @ stejonda <no$spam!delete&abuse%[email protected]> Proclaimed
    from the tallest tower:

    > In message <[email protected]>, Jon
    > <[email protected]> writes
    >> Buying phones off eBay is not without risk but if one is sensible
    >> it's perfectly fine. For example, check the sellers feedback - if
    >> it's zero or very low then steer clear.

    >
    > or, if the seller doesn't usually sell phones - avoid


    I only sell a phone on eBay very occasionally, but when I do, it is 100%
    genuinely mine to sell, just one that I have got free or cheap from my
    service provider one way or another. (Or once when I won one in a
    competition).

    I'm sure that a good percentage of the phones on eBay are being sold by
    people that have acquired a phone that they don't need (perfectly
    legitimately), and just want to get shot of it for a few quid...

    --
    Regards,
    Chris.
    (Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)





  11. #11
    Periproct
    Guest

    Re: IMEI


    "Periproct" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > Just a quicky.
    >
    > Thinking of getting a new phone and maybe using Ebay which means I may
    > have to get it unlocked. I see there are websites
    > (http://www.imei-check.co.uk/ is one I've found) I can send my IMEI to or
    > take it to the little shop on the high street.
    >
    > What are the chances of of my phone being cloned if I pass my IMEI on to
    > other people? Any thoughts?
    >
    > Regards, Nigel

    Hi all

    Had a slightly mad moment before going to work Monday morning and bought a
    very sexy unlocked phone from an Ebay seller with good feedback and lots of
    sales. Asked him to delay delivery until I'm off work so should be with me
    tomorrow.
    So, no worries about unlocking.

    Nige





  12. #12
    Road_Hog®
    Guest

    Re: IMEI


    "Periproct" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    news:[email protected]...
    > Had a slightly mad moment before going to work Monday morning and bought a
    > very sexy unlocked phone from an Ebay seller with good feedback and lots
    > of sales. Asked him to delay delivery until I'm off work so should be with
    > me tomorrow.
    > So, no worries about unlocking.
    >
    > Nige


    You should be fine, the replies that Jon has given are the factual ones. If
    you choose your ebay seller carefully you should be fine although I would
    take the point that Dave would seem to have been a bit unlucky, however
    whilst the seller has good feedback it is not for selling phones.

    There are plent of bonifide unlocking sites and if you quote the model you
    purchased and the network it is on, you can be pointed in the right
    direction to a known site.





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