When
a person buys a Pay As You Go phone, or gets one free, or cheap on a
contract or pre-pay tariff on any network and the person either:
1. Loses their
mobile phone and reports this to their service or network provider.
2. Has their mobile stolen and reports this to their service or
network provider.
The
relevant numbers to report a stolen or lost mobile are:
Network Operator
Contract
Pre-pay
Orange
07973 100150
07973 100451
Vodafone
07836 191191
08700 776655
O2
08705 214000
08705 678678
T Mobile
0845 412 5000
0845 412 5000
Virgin Mobile
0845 6000 789
0845 6000 789
3
07782 333 333
07782 333 333
Q:
Is there a website i can
use to check if my phone has been barred?
A:
Yes, you can check if your phone has
been blacklisted - barred
here
Q:
What happens when a mobile phone is reported
lost or stolen to their network?
A:
The network provider then puts the serial number ( the IMEI number for
the phone) on a shared blacklist database. This list stops any phone
on it from registering on any network. The phone is now no good to
anyone; it should not be bought for spare parts and it is a criminal
offence to handle it. If you find such a phone it should be handed in
to the police so that it can be returned to the owner as he or she may
have some important numbers, text messages or pictures in the memory
of the mobile phone.
Q:
How
do yo u find out if a mobile is barred or blocked?
A:
Common symptoms of blocked stolen or lost mobile phones are:
T-Mobile & Virgin Mobile
Vodafone
O2 & Orange
When a
sim is inserted in the phone it will seem as though the mobile is
working and will show that yo u have reception on the network.
However if you try to dial out although it will seem that the call is
going through, you will hear a number unrecognised tone.
If you were to dial the number of the sim card you entered, the mobile
would not ring when called.
The
phone will again show reception but when an outbound call is made it
will repeatedly fail. You will only be able to send text messages.
Note: Sometimes a phone will work on the Vodafone network for calls
going out but the sim will be barred after a while.
If you check it on other networks you can find out if the phone is
barred as it will display the symptoms described for the other
networks.
On O2
and Orange the sim will say simcards registration failure, will have
no reception and no network operator logo will appear.
Q:
What should I do if I buy a second- hand mobile ?
A:
Check
to find out where the second- hand or new phone you are buying has
come from and whether the phone is on a contract or Pay As You Go.
It's common for people to abuse the insurance on their phone by
selling it, then later on reporting it as stolen. That way they get a
replacement phone whilst the person they have sold the phone to loses
out as their phone will be barred and blocked.
Make sure that if you buy a phone you register the phone with your
network provider as if the phone gets barred at a later date you are
mostly covered. Unfortunately there isn't a database that allows the
public to call up a automated service and check if the phone has been
barred and where the phone originated from.
Q:
Is
changing the IMEI the same as unlocking?
A:
Mobile networks often lock handsets so that they are only able to
operate on specific networks. The unlocking of handsets to allow them
to operate on any network is not against the law and is not the same
as changing the IMEI.
