lost/stolen iphone

[Tomm]

You can't unblock it if the IMEI is blocked. Changing the IMEI, being in procession of something able to change the IMEI or offering to change the IMEI is a criminal offence and carries a prison sentence of up to 5 years and/or a fine.

[Swearwolf]

i could sell it to an american user then

[Jack!]

CEX Check all incoming phones IMEI Numbers against a database that is updated daily with blocked IMEI's, I work there, I should know, The amounth of times I've had to say no to people because the IMEI Comes back as blocked and blacklisted, Plus all phones that are traded in are linked to a CEX Account, which to trade in a phone, you have had to of handed in photo ID, to confirm you're name, so if a phone does get returned because it was blocked (I,E Lost, found, handed in to CEX all on the same day) we can track it back to the person who traded it in, and 9 times out of 10 it is sorted.

Also, we help the local police, we often get the in asking if we have sold a phone with a certain IMEI Number, and we can track who to as well, so they can contact them.

Also, IMEI is a worldwide thing, If it blocked in the UK, its blocked everywhere else.

[Swearwolf]

Also, IMEI is a worldwide thing, If it blocked in the UK, its blocked everywhere else.

not true

[Jack!]

not true

I'm sure it is, or that's what I was told.

EDIT:

I remember now.

I was told if it was blocked on for example t-mobile in the UK, it would be blocked on T-Mobile in the US, thats what I was told.

[Swearwolf]

from what i know when its blocked by for example o2 it goes on the british register which is based in dublin and then gets checked by all UK networks on their blacklist when turned on, so its not on a blacklist in the US, scandinavia india asia etc

[Recursion]

No. There are a few IMEI blacklists in the world that networks can (and usually do) share/sign up to, they all cover multiple countries over multiple continents. If a phone is blocked in the UK, it won't work on any network in the UK, it won't work on most networks in the EU and it won't work on the majority of networks in the US or Asia.

Now, you could change the IMEI, which is as Tomm said, a criminal offence and the network can tell extremely easily when the phone does it's handshakes with the network's backend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...stolen_devices

[Jordy]

Just to clarify, "finding" a phone is no different to "stealing" a phone if you choose to keep it.

[Swearwolf]

just put a proper o2 sim in and its now working, wasnt IMEI locked in the end apparently

[Swearwolf]

no wait its blocked again. oh well just ordered a new contract iphone