AT&T Unlocked Phone Blacklisted on Tmobile - Networking

This might sound like a broken record with ebay/craigslist scams, you can add me to the list.
I'm going to keep it short and to the point.
- I'm a T-Mobile user, purchased an AT&T Phone (LG Optimus G) on Craigslist , which i then unlocked via ebay code.
- a couple weeks of use the phone was reported stolen, blacklisted.
> On the day of purchase I saved the craigslist ad on the computer, which contained the seller's number, and it had the date as well.
What should i do?
- Contact the seller?
- Contact AT&T Insurance Company?
- Sell it on Ebay, is it illegal?
Would greatly appreciate any help or info as I am stranded without a phone, so the sooner the better, thank you.

sasoq said:
This might sound like a broken record with ebay/craigslist scams, you can add me to the list.
I'm going to keep it short and to the point.
- I'm a T-Mobile user, purchased an AT&T Phone (LG Optimus G) on Craigslist , which i then unlocked via ebay code.
- a couple weeks of use the phone was reported stolen, blacklisted.
> On the day of purchase I saved the craigslist ad on the computer, which contained the seller's number, and it had the date as well.
What should i do?
- Contact the seller?
- Contact AT&T Insurance Company?
- Sell it on Ebay, is it illegal?
Would greatly appreciate any help or info as I am stranded without a phone, so the sooner the better, thank you.
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Click to collapse
Contact the seller that would be common sense.... lol
If you contact or go to AT&T they will want to take the phone from you.....
you can sell it on eBay no problem , The Phone will ONLY work outside of the USA. Its not illegal to sell it on eBay if you look there are thousands of them just make sure you put it clear the the IMEI is bad

hyelton said:
Contact the seller that would be common sense.... lol
If you contact or go to AT&T they will want to take the phone from you.....
you can sell it on eBay no problem , The Phone will ONLY work outside of the USA. Its not illegal to sell it on eBay if you look there are thousands of them just make sure you put it clear the the IMEI is bad
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The number on the Ad was a fake number so can't get in any contact with them.
If I sell it on Ebay, wouldn't it be illegal since it was reported stolen?

sasoq said:
The number on the Ad was a fake number so can't get in any contact with them.
If I sell it on Ebay, wouldn't it be illegal since it was reported stolen?
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No... There are thousands of them on there. It would be illegal if you sold it without saying it had a bad IMEI.
How do you know it was reported Stolen? They are NOT allowed to tell you that. It can can either be reported stolen or lost.
They prob reported it lost, as if someone reports it stolen they have to make a police report.

hyelton said:
No... There are thousands of them on there. It would be illegal if you sold it without saying it had a bad IMEI.
How do you know it was reported Stolen? They are NOT allowed to tell you that. It can can either be reported stolen or lost.
They prob reported it lost, as if someone reports it stolen they have to make a police report.
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I contacted t-mobile last week and they said it was reported stolen. How can i know if a police report has been made for it?
Thanks again for responding, there are alot of views on this and no one has advice or info.

sasoq said:
The number on the Ad was a fake number so can't get in any contact with them.
If I sell it on Ebay, wouldn't it be illegal since it was reported stolen?
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Click to collapse
sasoq said:
I contacted t-mobile last week and they said it was reported stolen. How can i know if a police report has been made for it?
Thanks again for responding, there are alot of views on this and no one has advice or info.
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Wait.. T-Mobile said that? your best bet would to try and call AT&T as they would of had to of reported it to AT&T and not T-Mobile. But you wont know if someone filed a report. I`d just list it on eBay as a Bad IMEI phone, its not illegal and its not ripping anyone off as the phone can be used for parts and will work anywhere outside of the USA/Canada.

Your best bet would be to put it on eBay with a bad IMEI. As far as you know, it's simply a broken phone. You don't need to tell the buyers the circumstances.
Sent from my 3D FM pentesting smartphone... With Google!

hyelton said:
Wait.. T-Mobile said that? your best bet would to try and call AT&T as they would of had to of reported it to AT&T and not T-Mobile. But you wont know if someone filed a report. I`d just list it on eBay as a Bad IMEI phone, its not illegal and its not ripping anyone off as the phone can be used for parts and will work anywhere outside of the USA/Canada.
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I'm thinking the seller sold it to me then reported it stolen. And if it is reported stolen i wouldn't be able to sell it because it's stolen property.
Do you think at&t would want the phoned turned in if I contact them?

Related

Blocked IMEI

whats happen if one country block IMEI of the phone and you will take this phone to another country???
will work or not?
?
Why'd it get blocked? Blocked IEMI numbers are usually because they are stolen.
BOjaS said:
whats happen if one country block IMEI of the phone and you will take this phone to another country???
will work or not?
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TC,
I will tell you the answer after you return the stolen phone.
Good day.
ok why already everyone think that is stolen??? be honest with you guys i have no idea why they blocked my phone... i send to service they conformed that the phone is blocked becouse it was stolen... on my question why they decided to block it after i was using it for 8 months they couldnt give me answere...
quuestion is what i can do about it if i bought phone on ebay??? i have all the detiles of transaction and they guy detiles, shall i go on the police station to say that they guy is selling stolen goods?
Relax man.
It is not your fault you bought an stolen device.
This things happen.However it is quite unpleasant to have your phone stolen.I think you would agree.
Since you can not use the phone you might as well give it back to the owner.
The phone was blocked probably because someone reported the phone to be stolen.The police will take the phone for sure, and maybe the seller from ebay did not know it was stolen.But who knows.
Did you get any documents,an invoice or something , when you got the phone on ebay?
Good luck.
berbecverde said:
Relax man.
It is not your fault you bought an stolen device.
This things happen.However it is quite unpleasant to have your phone stolen.I think you would agree.
Since you can not use the phone you might as well give it back to the owner.
The phone was blocked probably because someone reported the phone to be stolen.The police will take the phone for sure, and maybe the seller from ebay did not know it was stolen.But who knows.
Did you get any documents,an invoice or something , when you got the phone on ebay?
Good luck.
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As stated above I would return device as it sounds like its stolen. I would also report it to ebay as you appear to have a legit case which should be investigated by them. If you have kept copies of ducoments/trasnactions etc you could also possibly get refunded
Well don't return it unless you get a refund first. If you paid by PayPal try to file a dispute and tell them it's a stolen phone. If they refund your money, you can either take the phone to a local carrier store and let them return it to the original owner, or just sell it on eBay yourself. If you don't get a refund, just sell it on eBay so you can recover your wasted money.
As far as taking it to another country, I don't think they'd be able to block it internationally, that doesn't really seem plausible.
rpimps said:
Well don't return it unless you get a refund first. If you paid by PayPal try to file a dispute and tell them it's a stolen phone. If they refund your money, you can either take the phone to a local carrier store and let them return it to the original owner, or just sell it on eBay yourself. If you don't get a refund, just sell it on eBay so you can recover your wasted money.
As far as taking it to another country, I don't think they'd be able to block it internationally, that doesn't really seem plausible.
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We DO NOT encourage people to sell stolen goods, this is fraud!!
Consider this first and last warning!!
Fallen Spartan said:
We DO NOT encourage people to sell stolen goods, this is fraud!!
Consider this first and last warning!!
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Sorry, I definitely don't support stealing or helping people steal. I'm just saying if there are no other options, he might as well sell it or else he's lost $600+ for nothing.
OK but still no answere for my question how came that someone (orange) blocking "stolen" phone after 8 months????
BOjaS said:
OK but still no answere for my question how came that someone (orange) blocking "stolen" phone after 8 months????
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If it's stolen I'd assume it can be blocked indefinitely.
BOjaS said:
OK but still no answere for my question how came that someone (orange) blocking "stolen" phone after 8 months????
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It's quite likely that the seller himself has reported the phone lost/stolen in order to make an insurance claim. It's even more likely if you bought it boxed and with the charger and all other bits. This is always a significant risk when buying a mobile phone from ebay. I suggest you contact the seller first of all and see what he says.
As people said here the right thing to do would be going to the police, which obviously means submitting the phone with no refund. And possibly helping to catch another thief (God knows we hate them!)
And if you go abroad (e.g. Poland) then yes your phone will work.

I think I may have bought my girlfriend a stolen HD2...

My gf's old phone broke, and I found a cheap HD2 on craigslist. I went ahead and bought it from the guy. He seemed ok, maybe a LITTLE shady. When I brought it home and told her how I got it, she became worried that if we put her sim card into it, and it IS stolen, a red flag will show up at T-mobile and she might get into trouble.
Is there any way T-mobile can tell who has the phone if it IS stolen? Also, if she ever has to send it in for a replacement through warranty, will she be screwed? I know I shouldn't have bought it off of Craigslist, but it's too late for that now...
Well, you could always call T-Mobile and ask them if it was reported stolen ....
Don't think they will call the police on you , If you tell them you are going to , but I bet they will want to take your name, just in case ...
Lol this whole thread seems shady as hell.
Sounds like the OP might be trying to fish answers for his own endeavors...
lol, i know. it sounds pretty bad, but i assure you, that's not the case.
they can tell if it's stolen. they can tell if more than one person has the same IMEI number. whoever was using the phone will have that IMEI on their account, and if your gf puts her sim card in it, they will be able to see the IMEI from the phone. that's done on purpose, so that if someone does report a stolen phone, and the IMEI turns up on another account, they can flag it. however if it was not reported stolen, then there isn't much they can do as they don't know whether or not the original owner sold it to you or a shady guy on craigslist sold it to you, so reporting to the authorities would be pointless for them, as it may have been a legal transaction. as for calling them, they're probably not going to give you the info if that IMEI is registered in their system, they may not even tell you if it is. but if it has been reported stolen, and the IMEI shows up under a different account it will probably be flagged, I'm not sure what would happen at that point. More than likely rather than calling the authorities they'll just cut off the service to the phone.
Try a prepaid sim card and see if it was IMEI blocked?
well, we put her sim card in it and nothing has happened so far. i suppose it was legit.
If you got it with box, supplies and cables its very low chance that it stolen. Actual price in my local craiglist is really low, but it doesn't mean that most of all are stollen
tmobile dont care if the phone stolen or not. it doesnt really matter.
Slash8915 said:
My gf's old phone broke, and I found a cheap HD2 on craigslist. I went ahead and bought it from the guy. He seemed ok, maybe a LITTLE shady. When I brought it home and told her how I got it, she became worried that if we put her sim card into it, and it IS stolen, a red flag will show up at T-mobile and she might get into trouble.
Is there any way T-mobile can tell who has the phone if it IS stolen? Also, if she ever has to send it in for a replacement through warranty, will she be screwed? I know I shouldn't have bought it off of Craigslist, but it's too late for that now...
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Click to collapse
If that were possible I would like to think they would have told me when my TouchPro2 got stolen... The fact that they didn't mention anything like that leads me to believe they can't tell just by the sim card.
i buy/sell phones on craigslist almost weekly and put my sim in all of them
when i call t-mobile to change the internet plan they always ask me where i bought the phone. i always say from t-mobile and they never say anything about it. guess they cant really tell
hope this helps
Slash8915 said:
My gf's old phone broke, and I found a cheap HD2 on craigslist. I went ahead and bought it from the guy. He seemed ok, maybe a LITTLE shady. When I brought it home and told her how I got it, she became worried that if we put her sim card into it, and it IS stolen, a red flag will show up at T-mobile and she might get into trouble.
Is there any way T-mobile can tell who has the phone if it IS stolen? Also, if she ever has to send it in for a replacement through warranty, will she be screwed? I know I shouldn't have bought it off of Craigslist, but it's too late for that now...
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Hi,
I'm not in the US but i always purchase phones from US and UK on ebay.
Always when i buy phones which are doubt to be stolen or reported as stolen i use this site www.checkmend.com.
They are even recommended by ebay. They claim to have a connection to a database that has all the information on Mobile Phones, Laptops, GPS navigators, etc. Which they can track by the serial number.
In your case you will need to provide them with the IMEI number of your phone and they will give a report on the status of the phone and past owners if they are registered. (they send this report by email instantly. they charge you USD 2.99 for this service. i thinks its quite worth than the risk.)
in my experience I've tried this service twice and a HD that i bought from the UK was returned with a report that said "This item has been blocked during its lifetime by one or more UK network(s)." which means it was reported lost or stolen.
and i even tried my HD2 which i'm using currently which i got from US cos i didn't get any box or accessory with it. But the report came out clear and i am in peace of mind.
Hope this helps.
ruwan7 said:
in my experience I've tried this service twice and a HD that i bought from the UK was returned with a report that said "This item has been blocked during its lifetime by one or more UK network(s)." which means it was reported lost or stolen.
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usefull site. does it give any detail? i blocked my last phone thinking i'd lost it, 4 weeks later it turned up in a friends sofa, so i had them un block it and used it for another 18months.
i guess that would give the response you gave above..
Someone mentioned the IEM number that is the way they can tell if its stolen. So when and IF you ever take your phone into the store to have the useless sales people help you solve some problem. That is how they will know if its stolen. If there is a way to tell by electronic signal Tmobile simply doesnt care. I asked when I bought mine and they told me to get insurance. I asked how do you know if I dont just keep the phone and get a new one for 100 bucks. IEM number shows up was their answer.
Your IMEI and sim info are constantly broadcast about the cell network, you don't have to go into a store for this information to be picked up.
http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis&sub=imeinr is one of the most common websites for checking your IMEI number (it's free), but do be careful with posting your IMEI/Serial number online at any site. Some are looking for valid IMEI numbers to use illegally.
Damn those shady Craigslist guys...
c2tmdsn said:
when i call t-mobile to change the internet plan
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I could be mistaken but I believe that if you select the G1 unlimited data plan, then any smart phone you have after that will not need to be updated...I am using the G1 plan with my HD2 and it works fine. So maybe you can avoid lying to them.

so i may buy a G2 from Craigslist

and i am wondering a few things..
i have heard of some shady craigslist people selling IMEI banned phones. If i get one by chance..is it possible to change IMEI? or am i screwed with a paperweight. I have seen some RIFF-box tools claim to be able to do it, but this is a pretty new phone so I am not sure if its supported.
Will T-Mobile work with a customer that accidentally came up on a banned phone? Does t-mobile actually ENFORCE the ban on the IMEI? I know of some people that had a supposed banned IMEI and it worked just fine.
Any information will be greatly appreciated!
Rather than potentially go through all of that, try calling T-Mobile when you meet the seller and verify with them if the phone is able to used without issue and hasn't been banned.
Also, talk of hacking and changing ESN/IMEIs are not allowed in the forums.
ricky05 said:
and i am wondering a few things..
i have heard of some shady craigslist people selling IMEI banned phones. If i get one by chance..is it possible to change IMEI? or am i screwed with a paperweight. I have seen some RIFF-box tools claim to be able to do it, but this is a pretty new phone so I am not sure if its supported.
Will T-Mobile work with a customer that accidentally came up on a banned phone? Does t-mobile actually ENFORCE the ban on the IMEI? I know of some people that had a supposed banned IMEI and it worked just fine.
Any information will be greatly appreciated!
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bring your sim card with you and slap it in before you hand over the cash. When I sold my Droid on Craigs List I actually met the guy at the verizon store to make sure he didn't have an issue getting it activated. Its not much to ask..
i completely understand about imei changing not allowed..
i was mostly asking if it was POSSIBLE..not how to do it really..but ok
and thanks for the reply about meeting the guy there..thats probably what I will do.
I've worked for tmobile for a long time, they do not block imei's.......that is sprint and verizon which block esn's. Your safe to buy the phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
You'll be fine with any GSM Carrier... Imei doesn't mean anything.
Just be sure your getting a Legitimate phone.
SmartHat said:
You'll be fine with any GSM Carrier... Imei doesn't mean anything.
Just be sure your getting a Legitimate phone.
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Unless it is on their blacklist an a stolen phone.
I bought a Motorola Cliq from CraigsList about a year ago... Turns out the guy I bought it from was a T-Mobile employee who had stolen the phone. I got a phone call from someone at T-Mobile asking me about the phone. I gave them all the information I had on the guy and then asked what it all meant to me.
I was told that because I had purchased the phone legitimately and had done nothing wrong that I could keep the phone and that T-Mobile had no interest in punishing a customer for someone else being dishonest.
As someone else said, pop your SIM card in the phone when you meet and see if it works.
Make sure you check that speaker phone works. I bought mine from a guy on craigslist for 275 and the speaker didn't work. I could hear out of the phone speaker (the one in front) but not out of the one in the back (above and to the right if the HTC logo behind the phone). So just check that the phone rings, that you can hear speakerphone, and that you can hear music.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
ricky05 said:
i completely understand about imei changing not allowed..
i was mostly asking if it was POSSIBLE..not how to do it really..but ok
and thanks for the reply about meeting the guy there..thats probably what I will do.
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Click to collapse
If u change the imei then u will have one of someone else phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Can't the guy just report it stolen after you put your sim in to see if it works? This is the main thing stopping me from getting a G2 or Nexus on Craigslist. Will everything be perfect if it works when you put in your sim?
I would ask the seller to email the IMEI to me, and verify it with TMo. If all is good, double check it when you meet with the dude and you should be OK.
djsinco said:
I would ask the seller to email the IMEI to me, and verify it with TMo. If all is good, double check it when you meet with the dude and you should be OK.
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Thanks for the response!
but even after checking the imei with tmobile, couldn't he just write down the imei number and report it stolen after I check it with the sim and buy it?
The concern to me is that the seller stole it. you could have TMo document the IMEI search in your notes, that and a printout of the CL post would cover you.
Youll be ok. I've never hear TMo blacklist any phones...even ones that were reported lost/stolen.
You bought it...just keep records of all your interactions with the seller.
Posted from my HTC Vision via XDA App
I have purchased and sold numerous phones over Craigslist.
I would recommend that you meet in an area that is well-lit and very PUBLIC. I typically try to meet at a coffee shop or something. I have heard of horror stories in my area about people setting up robberies through CL so be careful and aware of your surroundings.
Spend a few minutes using the phone... I.E. make a test phone call, send a text message, test sound output, etc. If the seller is not okay waiting a few minutes while you do these things, hand them the phone back and find a different seller. If there is nothing to hide, this process is reasonable.
Thanks for all the responses guys but my main concern is with the imei number. What is a sure way to know that it will not be blocked later on by a person?
Bbe1367 said:
I've worked for tmobile for a long time, they do not block imei's.......that is sprint and verizon which block esn's. Your safe to buy the phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
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There is nothing you can do to prevent a seller from calling customer service and giving them the IMEI saying that its stolen, BUT that doesn't have any impact on you.
ESN's are used on CDMA phones and those can be blocked to prevent service reaching a device. IMEI's do not work the same way. Regardless of whether or not the phone is reported as stolen, it would continue to work.
Just keep a record of your communication with the seller in case he tries to scam you down the road saying you stole it from him, but that is highly unlikely. Just be sure to check the device and make sure everything is working.
I take a gun with me when I go pay/pick up my item.
johnnyham89 said:
Thanks for all the responses guys but my main concern is with the imei number. What is a sure way to know that it will not be blocked later on by a person?
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T-mobile DOES NOT block IMEI numbers AT ALL,
Sprint and Verizon use CDMA networks, hence you have to give them your ESN number.... which they CAN block.
Since you are with T-Mobile... this scenario DOES NOT, I repeat DOES NOT apply to you.
just be careful about the phone itself, Making sure EVERYTHING works fine, scratches, dings.
Like somenone said... if there is nothing to hide than he WILL wait for you to test out the phone until you are satisfied. Meeting in a coffee shop or a public spot will do you good!

[Q] Question about general insurance terms.

Two quick questions about the insurance terms an conditions.
1. If you report it stolen or lost or whatever, do they send you a brand new phone after you pay the deductible or is it a refurbbed one?
2. If report it lost and order a new one, and you find the lost one(or you never actually lost it) do they deactivate the original one somehow?..or track it somehow?....or do they just accept your deductible and let you do whatever you want with them?
They send you what they have in stock at the moment. The longer a phone has been out the more likely you are to get a refurbished one.
The insurance company can't track it or do anything with it, you can do what you want with it and T-mobile won't care.
I advise reporting it lost, if you say it's stolen you have to submit to them a police report.
Good luck, let us know your results.
T-Fanatic said:
They send you what they have in stock at the moment. The longer a phone has been out the more likely you are to get a refurbished one.
The insurance company can't track it or do anything with it, you can do what you want with it and T-mobile won't care.
I advise reporting it lost, if you say it's stolen you have to submit to them a police report.
Good luck, let us know your results.
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Click to collapse
Thank you. Helpful information. Have you personally reported lost phone before?
T-Fanatic said:
They send you what they have in stock at the moment. The longer a phone has been out the more likely you are to get a refurbished one.
The insurance company can't track it or do anything with it, you can do what you want with it and T-mobile won't care.
I advise reporting it lost, if you say it's stolen you have to submit to them a police report.
Good luck, let us know your results.
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I'm not sure but I'd be surprised if T-Mobile didn't blacklist lost /stolen phones.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Jaskwith said:
Thank you. Helpful information. Have you personally reported lost phone before?
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I have not personally, but I worked at T-mobile up until a couple of weeks ago.
Your insurance isn't through t-mobile, so they don't care if you now have another one all of the sudden. Your insurance will only allow two phone replacements in a year because they can't actually blacklist or stop the phones.
T-Fanatic said:
I have not personally, but I worked at T-mobile up until a couple of weeks ago.
Your insurance isn't through t-mobile, so they don't care if you now have another one all of the sudden. Your insurance will only allow two phone replacements in a year because they can't actually blacklist or stop the phones.
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Wrong! The phones can be blacklisted. Honestly if you do find its best to report it BC if you start using that old one or sell it then asurion can and will prosecute for insurance fraud.
sk337sk337 said:
Wrong! The phones can be blacklisted. Honestly if you do find its best to report it BC if you start using that old one or sell it then asurion can and will prosecute for insurance fraud.
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I just have a question, cause I'd like people to be clear about what they're saying.
How would Ausrion even know if you sold it?
I mean, I could understand you finding the phone and using it again..cause maybe that could be tracked. (Maybe.)
But what could be done about selling it? That makes no sense.
Unless you try to sell it by posting "Selling my supposedly lost phone" on the TMobile forums.
nguyendqh said:
I just have a question, cause I'd like people to be clear about what they're saying.
How would Ausrion even know if you sold it?
I mean, I could understand you finding the phone and using it again..cause maybe that could be tracked. (Maybe.)
But what could be done about selling it? That makes no sense.
Unless you try to sell it by posting "Selling my supposedly lost phone" on the TMobile forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure what they actually do, but in theory it's pretty easy.
You claim the phone is lost
TMobile blacklists the phone's IMEI
Someone tries to register the phone on the TMobile network
TMobile and/or Asurion go after the account holder for the associated SIM
They show they bought it from you
No profit
chrisjs81 said:
I am not sure what they actually do, but in theory it's pretty easy.
You claim the phone is lost
TMobile blacklists the phone's IMEI
Someone tries to register the phone on the TMobile network
TMobile and/or Asurion go after the account holder for the associated SIM
They show they bought it from you
No profit
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone can be unlocked to use on any provider.
So...wouldn't selling it as an unlocked phone give you a better chance?
And you could sell it to a friend and have them say they bought it from off the internet or at a pawn shop or anything.
I just don't think it's that precise. (Who knows maybe it is.)
Anyway. I'm not trying to prove there's ways around it. I just wanted to understand the statement better.
And is blacklisting a phone's IMEI a new thing? Cause I've had phones stolen in the past that ended being in use by other people. Nothing ever happened there. (And I know that because I found out who stole the phone.)
*Just curious by the way, not trying to start a heated conversation or anything.
Thank for the info!
The insurance companies are NOT as dumb as you think they are. Insurance fraud is a booming business and companies are always looking to minimize their losses against fraud.
I know this because one of my specialty fields includes loss prevention and fraud. They can and will blacklist your IMEI number and despite your noble efforts to sell to a friend who magically ends up buying that very same phone off craigslist [unbeknownst to you ] will get you in trouble.
Do the smart thing and heed the advice given here by people who know. Don't try to fool businesses or people who have been around the block way longer than your ingenious plan of trying to net an extra phone.
You're better off slipping in the Taco Bell parking lot and claiming an injury.
CBConsultation said:
The insurance companies are NOT as dumb as you think they are. Insurance fraud is a booming business and companies are always looking to minimize their losses against fraud.
I know this because one of my specialty fields includes loss prevention and fraud. They can and will blacklist your IMEI number and despite your noble efforts to sell to a friend who magically ends up buying that very same phone off craigslist [unbeknownst to you ] will get you in trouble.
Do the smart thing and heed the advice given here by people who know. Don't try to fool businesses or people who have been around the block way longer than your ingenious plan of trying to net an extra phone.
You're better off slipping in the Taco Bell parking lot and claiming an injury.
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Think I could get some more detail about slipping in the parking lot of Taco Bell?
Asurion watches your account and tracks people down if they see someone you talk/text has the imei of your "lost" phone. Trust me don't lie to insurance companies
But if you sell it on Cl and report it lost at a bar...? What can they prove?
sk337sk337 said:
Asurion watches your account and tracks people down if they see someone you talk/text has the imei of your "lost" phone. Trust me don't lie to insurance companies
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Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
So they actually blacklist imei numbers?
Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
Jaskwith said:
So they actually blacklist imei numbers?
Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
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Yes they do.
Sent over HSPA+ using XDA app.
Jaskwith said:
So they actually blacklist imei numbers?
Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
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I also noticed your sig says your MT4G is running Gingerbread. Wanna explain?
Sent over HSPA+ using XDA app.
Well its cm7... basically gingerbread.
CBConsultation said:
I also noticed your sig says your MT4G is running Gingerbread. Wanna explain?
Sent over HSPA+ using XDA app.
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Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
Better not do that. Just don't lie to insurance companies
I'm not advocating fraud, but last time I checked the two big US GSM providers (AT&T and T-Mobile) don't utilize an IMEI blacklist. I checked because I had a phone stolen from me and I asked T-Mobile to blacklist the IMEI and they told me that they can't (or won't) do that. They said the best they could do was deactivate the SIM card to prevent the thief from running up my bill. After doing some digging, I discovered reports of many AT&T customers with the same experience.
moto211 said:
I'm not advocating fraud, but last time I checked the two big US GSM providers (AT&T and T-Mobile) don't utilize an IMEI blacklist. I checked because I had a phone stolen from me and I asked T-Mobile to blacklist the IMEI and they told me that they can't (or won't) do that. They said the best they could do was deactivate the SIM card to prevent the thief from running up my bill. After doing some digging, I discovered reports of many AT&T customers with the same experience.
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that is absolutely true. USA gsm carriers have 0 interest in blacklisting for obvious reasons = more money in their pocket. You get to buy a new phone for more money and whoever steals/find the phone gets to pay the company even more money.
I have no idea what insurance companies will do, though, but I've reported a lost phone, which I'm sure someone is still using, got a replacement and never heard word of it being tracked down or something.
Best advice I have is call assurion and ask if, in case your phone gets lost, if they'll do anything to retrieve it. My guess would be a resounding NO unless you have a police report, a subpoena and a lot of time to waste on this.

How do I trace a stolen phone by IMEI, and how to catch a thief

I sold a phone on Ebay to somebody in Cyprus.
The buyer claims he never received it and filed a claim, I lost 300 bucks and a mint HD2.
I found out the buyer now sold a similar phone on Ebay too, approx 3 or 4 weeks after I shipped mine. I was able to get my IMEI number from T-Mobile (very helpful, I was impressed).
Can I find out where my phone is ?
Buyer ID was " closedosier " now he changed to "gericy"
IMEI 357779030232175
Kinda sounds like they pulled a fast one on you and actually got the phone then sold it but told you they did not get the phone. Could T-Mobile not track it with the IMEI? I wish I knew of a definite way for you to track it via the IMEI. I did find this on Google though, here is the whole list Google pulled up. best of luck man.
Did you tell tmo to block the imei too while you were on with them? That's about all you can do, since its involving separate countries.the main prob with that is most countries have their own blacklists, so it may not do anything, but with a hint of luck the buyer gets it blocked and complains. You don't get it back but at least the seller loses out and gets a dodgy seller review.
Just gonna have to claim on your postal insurance, (please tell me you sent it "signed for",, if not,, well,, no comment)
TMobile cannot block it since it is not their phone anymore, I already asked, I have to file a Police Report.
I mailed it Priority with tracking, but it stops at when it leaves the USA, no tracking to Cyprus. Insurance was declined since USPS does not publicize well they don't have insurance for some countries, and guess what....Cyprus is one of them.
If the guy that bought the phone from by buyer/thief has actually my phone, I feel sorry for him too, he'll get a surprise very soon since the IMEI will be reported as stolen, and he'll get scammed.
Blimey, I think I'd go into the theft business too,, no proof of delivery?? Its a wonder anyone sends anything there at all!
All hail the British post office!
samsamuel said:
Blimey, I think I'd go into the theft business too,, no proof of delivery?? Its a wonder anyone sends anything there at all!
All hail the British post office!
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Yeah it sounds like the person that bought/stole the HD2 knew of the no tracking and knew they could get away with it. That sucks that a world wide company like USPS can not do anything else for you. I think you should press the matter with USPS myself.
T-Macgnolia said:
I think you should press the matter with USPS myself.
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definitely....
USPS cannot do anything since there is no tracking and no insurance, I already went this route.
My only alternative, now that I have an IMEI is to file a theft report with the police dept. here then I can open a case with FBI and IC3 which are federal agencies working on international frauds.
I won't see my money back, but at least the phone will be listed as stolen, IMEI on blacklist, and will never be able to be registered.
I just feel sorry for whoever bought the phone from my buyer/thief
I won't see my money back, but at least the phone will be listed as stolen, IMEI on blacklist, and will never be able to be registered.
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Shame those blacklists aren't global, if it goes outside of Europe/us it will probably work. Most stolen phones end up in Africa or the middle/far east where they couldn't care less.
As for the new buyer, did you email him to let him know to check the imei? (I already pointed him in the direction of this thread, fingers crossed it will black list and he'll complain about the seller.)
Next time be sure to inform the buyer that there is no insurance offered and no refunds. I've sold an hd2 to a similar place where insurance wasn't offered and made sure to tell him this.
It's not your fault if it gets lost in the mail. You sent it.
Also, if they didn't like it. You could have easily sold it to someone else.
Sent from my HD2 using XDA app
I found out the new Ebay ID for the guy is gericy
Beware of this person.
Apparently this guy does not know what the law is. Guess what, after I posted this thread on XDA he contacted me begging to remove, and claimed the fact that he "forgot" the claim, and he was "away" for a while.
He doesn't understand he broke the law and he should be punished. Try to rob a bank then when the cops find you return the money and say I'm sorry, you still go to jail. This is exactly what he did.
He refunded the money to me after making him reverse the neg feedback he left on Ebay, but then I found out he uses different IDs, probably to avoid consequences.
To all out there be careful if you buy anything from gericy
Cool, result!
samsamuel said:
Cool, result!
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Amen brother !! Don't underestimate the power of XDA !!!! It can catch thieves too.
Hah yea, shame it couldn't catch my burglar who took my xdaIIi and plasma telly. (tho it did get blocked so I assume it got thrown.)
AWESOME MAN!!!!
Glade you got your money back and keep pressing the issue. Dude should have to pay the consequences of his actions. Never under estimate the power of being persistence and the power of the internet.
Not sure you can do much other than what you already plan to do.
Also, I am not sure why would you risk sending your phone outside of US without the proof of delivery - $300 is $300 ... lot of money if you ask me...
Anyhow, best of luck and next time DO NOT SELL IT INTERNATIONALLY!

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