IMEI blocking is not the only way to fight phone theft. Ī bill was introduced in the United States by Senator Chuck Schumer in 2012 that would have made the changing of an IMEI illegal, but the bill was not enacted. For example, in the United Kingdom, under the Mobile Telephones (Re-programming) Act, changing the IMEI of a phone, or possessing equipment that can change it, is considered an offence under some circumstances. Many countries have acknowledged the use of the IMEI in reducing the effect of mobile phone thefts. 2 Structure of the IMEI and IMEISV (IMEI software version).1.3 Law enforcement and intelligence use.However, the network's ability to know a subscriber's current, individual device enables many network and security features. The phone identifies the subscriber by transmitting the International mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number, which it stores on a SIM card that can, in theory, be transferred to any handset. However, the IMEI only identifies the device and has no particular relationship to the subscriber. This renders the phone useless on that network and sometimes other networks, even if the thief changes the phone's subscriber identity module (SIM).ĭevices without a SIM card slot usually don't have the IMEI code.
For example, if a mobile phone is stolen, the owner can have their network provider use the IMEI number to blocklist the phone.
GSM networks use the IMEI number to identify valid devices, and can stop a stolen phone from accessing the network. It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone but can also be displayed on-screen on most phones by entering *#06# MMI Supplementary Service code on the dialpad, or alongside other system information in the settings menu on smartphone operating systems. The International Mobile Equipment Identity ( IMEI) is a number, usually unique, to identify 3GPP and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones.
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