how to disable a stolen phone using the EMI

[Guest evilminky]

i had a 7210 (nice simple phone for simple people) which was stolen and i herd that u could disale the phone with the EMI number. i have no idea how to do this but would like to be able to stop the use of this phone.

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

Get the network provider to block the phone.

[Guest evilminky]

but surley they can only access the sim card and it was a o2 phone which means it can be used on other networks

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

The IMEI number is read and that is what is blocked as I believe the network providers pass information of stolen phones to each other.

[Guest martin]

but surley they can only access the sim card and it was a o2 phone which means it can be used on other networks

The IMEI is in the phone not in the SIM.

The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) code identifies the mobile station itself and the network providers will now have the phone blocked nationally (for all UK networks). No doubt some poor mug has already bought it and will wake up one day to find it doesn't work anymore :cry: How many times have we heard that story.

[Guest Big Ron - No Longer a Mem]

Sometime around the new year, T Mobile started a new system that blacklisted not only stolen phones associated with an IMEI, but also SIMs - when you log onto a network, it transmits both the IMEI AND the SIM details. T Mobile's system not only barred the handset from use - but also "flagged" the SIM - barred that from making calls, and would note the IMEI numbers of any other phone associated with the SIM. Was supposed to work something like a virus - handset to SIM then SIM to handset. The press release at the time (on Orange's internal network - there's a "What the competition are doing" page) suggested that this new idea would be adopted by the other carriers. It had a catchy name - something like "Lassoo".

156 have access to software called "ISAAC" - it can tell the CSR the IMEI of EVERY handset ever used with a particular SIM. It's not used by them for security purposes, but to avoid problems with diagnostics. I had a customer who rang in with a problem and failed to mention that he'd bought a Nokia 7650 in Spain and put his SIM into it. O's records showed that he'd got some other kind of handset.

Anyone see "Private Eye" this week? There's a piece that claims the record levels of street crime in 2001/2 weren't down to REAL thefts of mobiles, but a sudden splurge of insurance frauds, as people got their phones unlocked, stuck a PAYG SIM from some other carrier in them, then claimed that their phone had been stolen (allowing them to subsidize purchase of a newer or more expensive phone) PE claims that they were encouraged to do it by "unscrupulous handset resellers." Possibly... but how would they KNOW?

Note that IMEI barring agreements are UK only. The Orange phone stolen in London will work perfectly well in (say) Paris, even if it IS barred. There's a significant (legitimate) trade in second-user and "14 day" phones, dumped by the telcos to dealers and "for export only". I wonder how many export job lots get "topped up" with a few stolen-and-barred phones?