Here's What Happens To Your Phone's IMEI After Being Stolen. And Why You Can't Trace It Back

If you are wondering what happens to your phone after it gets stolen. Why it becomes untraceable? The Delhi Police claimed to have found an answer for this.  

According to the police, your cell phone is made untraceable using a device called ‘flasher’, which tampers with the handset’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) or a 15-digit unique number on every mobile phone.

The revelation comes after the arrest of two persons from Darya Ganj area on November 9 with a huge haul of stolen mobile phones worth Rs 75 lakh. The police have also seized four flashers and one laptop. Cops said that the accused used to sell the stolen cell phones after tampering their IMEI number. They received stolen phones from thieves and pick pockets across the city.

So far, the police said, the accused changed the unique identification numbers of more than 1,000 handsets and resold them in the open market. The IMEI number is used by the police and security agencies to trace, track and identify mobile and satellite phones to the exact tower the minute a call is made, even if a different SIM card is used.

The IMEI number is believed to be tamper-proof and different for every cell phone. 

How does a flasher erase the original IMEI and generates a new one?

The device, which is not bigger than a cell phone power bank, needs a USB cord, a CD and a computer to change the unique number. The CD comes with the flasher. The CD files are opened on the computer and then the phone whose IMEI number needs to be tampered is connected to the computer using the flasher with the help of a USB cable. There is an option to either use a new 15 digit number as the IMEI or put a number of one’s choice.

Once the IMEI is erased, the phone can never be traced.

“The entire process of tampering an IMEI numbers takes less than 10 minutes if the user of the tampering device is expert,” said a police officer.

The accused told cops that the IMEI tampering device does not work on iPhones. And therefore, once stolen it is not resold in the grey market as it is risky.

Out of the 401 smartphones the police recovered, 32 were iPhone 6 and 6S.

The accused told police that stolen Apple phones are dismantled and their parts are sold separately. Their screens are in great demand. 

"But iPhones may not be so secure for a long time as different devices and software are being tried to change their IMEI numbers," said the police quoting the two men.

Flasher is available for everyone

The police said that the flashers are sold in Ghaffar Market, which is a hub of electronic goods, at a price between Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000. But the device cannot be bought so easily because they are sold discreetly.  

Reselling stolen phones – a booming business in Delhi

On an average, around 100-150 cell phones are stolen every day, say the police who believe that the number could be higher as people often ignore to report about lost phones. According to police, the city has an organised racket of cell phone snatchers and thieves and those who buy these stolen handsets to resell them in the market after tampering with IMEI numbers. 

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The stolen phones are bought from pick pockets, snatchers and thieves across the city at 10% to 20% of the phone’s price and resold at 40-50% depending on its condition, said cops.

All those, who get their mobile phones back after being stolen are really lucky, indeed.