What should you do if your phone is lost or stolen?

Losing your mobile phone or falling victim to mobile theft is a common issue that many of us have experienced at some point in our lives. In the past, the only solution was to visit the nearest police station and file a First Information Report (FIR). This FIR could then be used to obtain a new SIM card or as evidence for safety purposes in case any illegal activity was carried out using your phone. Additionally, you could contact your mobile service provider as soon as possible to report the loss or theft. They can block your SIM card and prevent any unauthorized usage of your phone.

However, unfortunately most people are unable to recover their phones despite doing all of this.

The Central Government Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has taken a step towards curbing the stolen mobile phone market and discouraging mobile phone theft with the introduction of a new initiative called the Central Equipment Identity Registry (CEIR). This initiative aims to protect consumer interests and facilitate law enforcement authorities to lawful intercept stolen mobile phones.

Note: All of this will work only if you have your phone’s IMEI number handy and secure with you.

So, what exactly is CEIR?

It connects the IMEI database of all mobile operators and acts as a nodal system for all network operators to share blacklisted mobile devices. This means that devices blacklisted in one network will not work on other networks, even if the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card in the device is changed.

If you lose your mobile phone, follow these steps:

1.?????File a report with the police and keep a copy of the report.

2.?????Get a duplicate SIM card for the lost number from your telecom service provider (e.g., Airtel, Jio, Voda/ldea, BSNL, MTNL, etc.). This is essential because you will need to provide this as the primary mobile number (OTP will be sent on this number) while submitting the request for blocking your IMEI.

3.?????Get your documents ready - a copy of the police report (an identity proof must be provided) You may also provide the mobile purchase invoice.

4.?????Visit the CEIR website https://www.ceir gov.in/ and fill up a form to block the IMEI of the lost/stolen phone and attach the required documents.

5.?????Once the form is submitted, you will be given a Request ID. The same can be used for checking the status of your request and for unblocking the IMEI in future.?

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What happens once the request is submitted?

After the successful submission of the blocking request, the user's phone is blocked within 24 hours. After the phone has been blocked, it cannot be used on any network across India. However, this does not prevent the police from tracking the location of the phone.

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Therefore, if anyone else tries to use the lost/stolen phone by inserting any SIM card, he/she will not be able to use it. This will prevent any unauthorised use of the phone. This will also discourage mobile phone theft.

Is the block irreversible??No, don't worry, a blocked phone can be unblocked if found, the user has to report to the local Police that it is found. After that the user can unblock the phone by any one of the following means:

Through a form submitted on CEIR website. The procedure to do it is as follows: -

1.?????Fill out the request registration form for unblocking the IMEI of found phone.

2.?????After submitting the form, the IMEI will be unblocked.

Therefore, if anyone attempts to use a lost or stolen phone by inserting a SIM card, they will be unable to do so. This feature effectively prevents unauthorized use of the phone and serves as a deterrent against mobile phone theft.

KYM- Know Your Mobile

In addition, CEIR offers an essential tool called Know Your Mobile (KYM). This feature allows you to check whether a used phone is lost or stolen by simply entering its IMEI number. You can easily access the KYM status of a phone through any of the following methods:

1.?????Type KYM <15 digit IMEI number> from your mobile and send the SM5 to 14422.

2.??????Download the KYM app from Play Store (for Android) or from AppStore (for iOS).

3.??????Use the CEIR website portal.

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By utilizing KYM, you can ensure that you are purchasing a legitimate phone and avoid any potential legal issues. This feature is just one of the many ways that CEIK is committed to providing reliable and secure mobile services to its customers.