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Mobile Phone Theft - A Tip to Get One Up on Thieves
This great tip has been circulating on the Internet recently and we thought it well worth passing along for those who may not already be aware of it.
If your mobile phone is stolen you may never see it again but can at least have the satisfaction of knowing that you have rendered the phone useless to a thief or anyone who purchases the stolen property. A thief will not be able to use the phone or sell it on to others if you do the following:
First, you need to find out the unique serial number of your mobile phone. To do this, key in: *#06#
The serial number of your phone will appear on the screen. Keep a note of the number somewhere safe but where it can be easily accessed if needed, especially when travelling. If your phone is stolen call your service provider and give them the code. This will enable the company to deactivate the phone so that it is useless, even if the thief changes the SIM card.
If we all did this perhaps it would put a stop to a lot of theft of our mobile phones. I just tried this myself to make sure it works and have accessed my phone’s serial number and made a note of it. Pass this great tip along to fellow travellers and everyone you know.
Flickr cc image: whiteafrican
November 16th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
FYI: As a follow up on this post, About.com has a comment posted regarding this tip, as follows:
On some cell phone models, but not all, pressing *#06# will display the phone’s 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity. Some providers, but not all, can use the info information to deactivate the phone. However, it isn’t necessary to supply an IMEI number to cancel your cellular account if the phone is stolen; you can call your provider, give them the account info, and tell them the phone has been stolen.