Info:

[andrenasey]

ohh thanks for your information .....it is really useful....

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› See More: Is it bad to give out your IMEI number?

[Wisestep]

Yeah you are right . Leaking out IMEI number is very dangerous so be carefull every one thanks !

[unlocksamsung]

If some clone Your simcard can cheat you for a lot of money. But to clone sim card cheater must have it in his hand.

So one more after gIveing IMEI number to eg codes seller nothing can happen.

BR

Cloning of simcards hasn't been possible for a long time. I do not know of any provider still using the old simcard types (v1).
To provide some perspective simcards from before 2002 were v1 and 'clonable' after that they just aren't.

So don't scare people with old data.

Sharing your IMEI in public isn't a good idea still but the chances something bad happens with it is not very big.

This is the most plausible situation:

1. you share your IMEI
2. a bad person with a stolen phone (or insurance fraud) finds your IMEI online
3. he changes IMEI on his phone to your IMEI
4. If (and only IF) you and he are using both phones on the same network problems will arise. Your network might contact you about this and in extreme cases close your account or something

Now the movie extra's
5. some very bad terrorist wanting to blow up the world took YOUR IMEI and is now using it
6. CIA tracks his IMEI somehow and looks up info from person registered to this IMEI/phone, that happens to be YOU
7. CIA will take you out of bed and kill your family
8. you want revenge and convert yourself in a revenge super hero
9. you kick some butt
10. find a new very hot check, at first you don't want her because your dead wife
11. in the end you still do end up with the hot women
12. happy after all...

[??? ???? ???]

Man you have no idea how you helped me and make me understand not give it to anyone even someone said he I just want it to see if everything clear I was seeing my phone and I don't even know what this tell the one who wants my phone send me message asked me to give him the imei I said I want to Google it first see if it's fine I played smart on him Im so glad I went to this website and I saw what you wright thank you very much

[MiguelCC]

Fully agree with this. The IMEI is just like the Vin number on your car so its not good to give it out with a blind eye.

In short - YES. Depending on how you're giving your IMEI number out, it is bad. Your IMEI number is your phones identification number. It is specific to your phone. It's kind of like your phones social security number. In the wrong hands, someone could steal your phones identity, leaving you with a large phone bill to pay.

Picture this scenario: You post your IMEI number on a website looking for an unlock code. Several months go by and you get a phone bill for $3,000 and details of calls that you've never made. Someone has cloned your phone and has been using your account, unknowingly to you. Phone cloning is illegal, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

Another less serious scenario: Someone (possibly someone that knows and has something against you) reports your phone lost or stolen posing as the finder of the phone, and you are then unable to use your phone until you call your provider and explain.

What if someone is selling a known stolen phone on ebay and they give the buyer your IMEI, which of course is not stolen. The seller of the stolen phone just made a sale with your help.

Now, do not confuse this with giving your IMEI to a legitimate unlocking service. You should read the service's privacy policy for what they do with IMEI or ESN information. Legitimate services will not store or use this information for anything.

So, mind what you do with any information on the internet. There is always someone out there that could use it against you.

[mehwish]

Yes this topic helps alot about the IMEI info but one thing is a bit confusing that if someone can ask to block certain IMEI which is not actually his/her own. I think the blocking company should must be asking about the package contents (Phone Box) to identify if the asking person is a Genuine owner.
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[shimply]

Don't i think that its really bad to give your IMEI number.

[Relectrocycle]

Yes it is!

[enam]

About one month ago, I gave IMEI number of iPHone of one of my relative to one vendor to unlock it. I should be more careful.
Thanks for sharing these good info.

[HollyHolm]

yup i agree with you.

[WillianWhalen]

Yes it is, every infomartion about your phone must not given to others. Because it may be use against you. Your just like giving your password to others.

[t2mr]

It is a stupid thing to share your IMEI with someone.. It can cause you more trouble than you can know.

[jackdup]

In short - YES. Depending on how you're giving your IMEI number out, it is bad. Your IMEI number is your phones identification number. It is specific to your phone. It's kind of like your phones social security number. In the wrong hands, someone could steal your phones identity, leaving you with a large phone bill to pay.

Picture this scenario: You post your IMEI number on a website looking for an unlock code. Several months go by and you get a phone bill for $3,000 and details of calls that you've never made. Someone has cloned your phone and has been using your account, unknowingly to you. Phone cloning is illegal, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.

Another less serious scenario: Someone (possibly someone that knows and has something against you) reports your phone lost or stolen posing as the finder of the phone, and you are then unable to use your phone until you call your provider and explain.

What if someone is selling a known stolen phone on ebay and they give the buyer your IMEI, which of course is not stolen. The seller of the stolen phone just made a sale with your help.

Now, do not confuse this with giving your IMEI to a legitimate unlocking service. You should read the service's privacy policy for what they do with IMEI or ESN information. Legitimate services will not store or use this information for anything.

So, mind what you do with any information on the internet. There is always someone out there that could use it against you.

So you are saying that simply having someone's else's IMEI they can charge calls to your account without a SIM that is linked to that account? I understood that it was the SIM card that tied the phone to your account and while the carrier has your IMEI, which they can use to blacklist your phone or block it if you have an overdue account it is not what is used to authorize charges.
If I sell my phone and don't tell my carrier and someone puts in there own sim card in that phone the charges will go to whatever account that sim card is tied to. If as you say the IMEI is what is tied to my account then all the charges by the new owner would still go back to my account, so I don't understand how someone stealing and cloning my IMEI would result in charges going to my account instead of the account that the SIM card they are using is tied to?
Would really appreciate hearing how an IMEI could result in fraudulent charges to my account without a sim card being linked to that account as I may not sell my used phones anymore.
I sure don't profess to understand all of this so again would appreciate your explanation how an IMEI can be used to charge calls to my account.
Thank you

[budz]

Not really that bad

[Truck Lagbe]

Its not a big problem I guess.