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Mobile wisdom

  
 
unheimlich manoeuvre
13:51 / 04.07.03
from Libertarian Samizdata (not that i agree with their romantic ideology)


Archane mobile wisdom
News you can use

Tip: do this before your mobile phone is stolen!
(translation: that means 'cell phone' to you bloggers in the United Snakes of America)

You may find the tip below of interest but hopefully you will never have to make use of the knowlage.

A little 'get your own back' if you have your mobile stolen.To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone:
*#06#

A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it safe.

Should your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then block your handset so even if the thief changes the Sim card your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that the thief can't use/sell it either. If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile phones!

Impart this archane wisdom to as many people as possible.

Dave Shaw
Samizdata admin technoblogger
 
 
Linus Dunce
23:17 / 04.07.03
Are all networks cooperating with each other on this now? Because not all of them were a while back.

I think it's still worth calling if you don't have this number -- when my phone was stolen, the operator said they could get it from the header of my last call.
 
 
fluid_state
16:24 / 05.07.03
doesn't seem to work w/ my Nokia 6000.
 
 
Cloned Christ on a HoverDonkey
17:54 / 05.07.03
Yeah, it is a good idea, except the phone will only be blocked from working in your own country. Apparently a lot of the thieves are wise to this and are selling them abroad.

Also, the serial number isn't hard-coded into the phone; it's actually stored on a re-programmable chip. This means that with the right (quite readily available) equipment it's quite easy to actually change the IMEI number of the phone so that it isn't blocked any more.

There's a lobby of various parties trying to get the phone manufacturers to actually make the IMEI number of each phone locked in stone. But it's more expensive to do that, so the manufacturers are a little reluctant.
 
  
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