Database Info

Is there danger in giving out the IMEI?

I had a software company ask me for the IMEI for my phone - is there any issue with me giving them this number? Ultimately, what malicious activies could they perform with knowing my IMEI?
Thanks!

if they report your imei to the police as a stolen phone it's blocked and precious few ever gotten their imei off those lists making the phone useless

They could duplicate the imei number to an other device and make illegal activities using that imei number which is billed to you.
You wonder the story next

Semseddin said:
They could duplicate the imei number to an other device and make illegal activities using that imei number which is billed to you.
You wonder the story next
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you would also have to have their same sim number for that to work.

josefcrist said:
you would also have to have their same sim number for that to work.
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Click to collapse
Right!

IMEI refers to the International Mobile Equipment Identifier, a unique 15 digit code programmed into each mobile phone during production. The number holds information regarding manufacturer, model type and the approval body for the handset. The identification, bound into the IMEI when combined with the use of blacklisting and a connection the CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register, is one route to preventing stolen devices being used on authorized networks. However, if the integrity of the code relating to the communication of the IMEI with the network is not guaranteed, the device is open to attack. This is the case with many current handsets, allowing impersonation of the IMEI and again rendering this security feature ineffective and redundant.
Year 22nd Dec 2008 in Turkey, there was a police operation for cloned phones and illegally saved imei numbers... Police has arrested over 50 people and got over 10 thousand cloned phones with real imei numbers... One of the arrested told to police that they bought the imei numbers from some internet sites as packages of 1000 imei numbers... It is really harmfull to post imei numbers on the web... Be carefull while buying secondhand phones also...
That Should Sum It up

It is very important to not give to anyone your imei number. Here in Greece we had few affairs with that issue.

thank God there ain any Android Signed
Semseddin said:
They could duplicate the imei number to an other device and make illegal activities using that imei number which is billed to you.
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Click to collapse
one more reason to hate nokia and their bloody Symbian Signed. opda must have milions of imeis worldwide cause of theire stupid software. long live google and the android

Giiving imei number is like givn ur bank card pin......Dont do it!

is this still true, till this day? are there any security updates made to prevent these danger?

I gave out my IMEI number to a person posing as a personnel from MTN in Abuja, Nigeria. He said that they going to upgrade my phone to 4 G platform. Is there anything like this from MTN Nigeria?

Abuamatullah said:
I gave out my IMEI number to a person posing as a personnel from MTN in Abuja, Nigeria. He said that they going to upgrade my phone to 4 G platform. Is there anything like this from MTN Nigeria?
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Almost every phone is like this.
When the carriers developed a certain product, they could just update your phone through your software (A last patch for the phone). ? By going to system update.
The software is always limited to what your hardware's phone could do, and you should have expertise to know that.
What I meant here is, after they released a product, they would forgot it and go to the drawing board and make a more improved phone, they won't really need your phone because they are the ones who manufactured it(same for the source codes). It would be seemingly suspicious for someone to have an interest to your phone which will be outdated in a couple of months or a year.

[Q]

i have recently had my mobile phone stolen, galaxy s3 i9300, upon completion of the form for insurance for the insurance company asked for proof of handset, blocking and imei code and a few other details, which i got from o2.
however when i got the form my phone was listed on there website as a galaxy i8300, however the imei code on the phone matches the box and from a few website searches on imei info
the website clearly shows i own a white galaxy s3, but o2 will not accept this and categorically say that i was using the i8300.
i have never owned this phone in my life and know nobody with this handset and the dates all match to when i bought the phone sim free in london samsung Westfield and entered the sim, the only thing is the model number, and until corrected the insurance will not pay out.
can anyone please advise

Galaxy phones are all i9xxx models. Someone is being corrupt.
Try your Google play store account and download the app Plan B by Lookout Security. If you're lucky and the thief didn't reset the phone, the app will track it for you.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

hi mate thanx for the reply, sorry that was my mistake writing galaxy for the mistaken phone, i wrote thhis late at night lol
so basically the phone i owned was sgs3. imei code.********* anyhow the phone company told me .
yes mr lee we have blocked ur phone, imei; *********** then they told me the imei in question belongs to a samsung i8300 (My mistake before in calling galaxy i8300), but they have provided me with the usage dates, being from the 28th may-7th june, the exact time i had my sim in the sgs3 but they insist my sim was in a i8300, i have provided a receipt for them listing the imei and my sim free sgs3 but o2 will not accept this, i dont understand,
i hope i made a bit more sense this time,
thanks in advance

ALWAYS INCLUDE A DESCRIPTIVE THREAD TITLE

Samsung phones come with model numbers i9xxx if it's a galaxy,as in,i9000,i9100,i9103, i9200,i9300 so for them to deny replacing you the phone based on it saying i8300 (this is obviously their error,the 9 is a constant) on their computers is ludicrous, considering you have a valid receipt of purchase and proper insurance, outright fraud! I suggest you insist on dealing with someone else next time your there.
Did you try the app?
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

One last note on legality/illegality of an IMEI if I may please.

In response toF(RED) in a previous thread.
Hmmm, jurisdiction is the key word here.
From my research the IMEI is purchased by the manufacturer for each phone they produce.
In this case Samsung purchases it from the Brits. So the jurisdiction lies in the British jurisdiction.
That being the case, the carriers in the U.S. have no jurisdiction to affect Samsungs' IMEI numbers. Samsung (which is based in Korea) paid for it, NOT the U.S. carriers.
In light of that, anyone in the U.S. owning a Samsung device should not fall in the jurisdiction of the Brits with respect to what they do with a device they purchase in the U.S., as in purchasing the device in the U.S. basically YOU are in effect purchasing the rights to that IMEI from the moment the carrier sells a Samsung phone to you, at which point the carrier no longer has the right to dictate anything with respect to the IMEI, and as such the carrier can't legally TOUCH your IMEI (barring it having been reported by the owner as lost or stolen of course, which is what the intents and purposes of an IMEI is all about and why it has been been implemented on a device in the first place) nor would it be illegal for you to change the IMEI of a device that you purchased the rights to through transfer of ownership (once you pay for the phone the carrier in effect will be transferring the rights of that IMEI to you) since it's YOUR phone.
So basically if you can produce a receipt for the purchase of the device, no law is broken with respect to the IMEI by the owner but I would tend to think if your IMEI is not rightfully blocked by a carrier (if you did not report your phone to the carrier that it was stolen) Then it would be illegal for the CARRIER to block your phones IMEI...,and if they did then you would in turn have a right to change it because in the carrier doing so, they illegally blocked a phones IMEI that is your property and there would be no other recourse than to change it so that it can be used on their network because your IMEI purchased with the phone is legally and rightfully free to use their network.

If you have a receipt for your purchase and you have issues with your IMEI, then you go back to your Carrier for clarification and or resolution.
Jurisdiction is not the key word:
What is IMEI?
Mobile phones, except the serial number have also IMEI number. IMEI — International Mobile Equipment Identity. IMEI — a common standard for all mobile devices, which is assigned to the phone at the time of manufacture it in the factory. It's the unique number, which is broadcasting to the carrier to authorize phone in the network. Structure of the IMEI is the same for all phones regardless of manufacturer. IMEI number is also used to track and block lost or stolen phones by the carrier, which further prevents to use of such devices. However, blocking IMEI in one carrier network have no effect in others networks.
Thank You and Thread Closed.

[Q] Android phone sending information to manufacturer server

I am wondering what is going on inside when we first open a Android phone... We are official distributor of a well known brand. We are only authorized to sell in our region only. But we sold some thousands of phones outside our region. After a month the phone company contacted us and warned that their system shows these number of phones are activated outside your region...
How they know?
We already opened all the phones and inserted the SIM and called 20 seconds to our carrier help-line.
All phones are already SIM unlocked.
The android really sending some data to the manufacturer server like imei?
Thank you!

Getting updates with changed imei phone

Next week i'll buy One A9 from germany and in my country (Turkey) government force people to register imei number to connect phones gsm network. its around 50 euros and the biggest problem is i have to find a person who entered country last 30 days with passaport and that person shouldnt register any imei in last 2 years.
and the question is if i change my phones' imei can i get/install official updates without problem??
thanks