IMEI

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

"Periproct" <Periproct@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:bp6dnan1tI99mjDbRVnyvgA@bt.com...
> 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.

On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:34:19 +0100, "Periproct"
<Periproct@btinternet.com> 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. gwyndewey@3mailrem.com
Remove rem if replying

Periproct@btinternet.com 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

john@onlineworld.com 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

In message <46ad2bb8$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>, John
<john@onlineworld.com> 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

In message <MPG.21179a3fe60366fd98ab8d@text.usenet.plus.net >, Jon
<spam@jonparker.plus.com> 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

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.

"dave @ stejonda" <no$spam!delete&abuse%dave@stejonda.freeuk.com> wrote in
message news:Nc+LFMHd0grGFALs@privacy.net...
> In message <MPG.21179a3fe60366fd98ab8d@text.usenet.plus.net >, Jon
> <spam@jonparker.plus.com> 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?

In message Nc+LFMHd0grGFALs@privacy.net,
dave @ stejonda <no$spam!delete&abuse%dave@stejonda.freeuk.com> Proclaimed
from the tallest tower:

> In message <MPG.21179a3fe60366fd98ab8d@text.usenet.plus.net >, Jon
> <spam@jonparker.plus.com> 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)

"Periproct" <Periproct@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:bp6dnan1tI99mjDbRVnyvgA@bt.com...
> 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

"Periproct" <Periproct@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:GLmdnUU3L4LfPzLbnZ2dnUVZ8vydnZ2d@bt.com...
> 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.