Its no secret that cell phones have become a major player in crime. They make it easier for crimes to be committed. But there is also crime towards cell phones. The theft of mobile phones is way up. If a phone is stolen, chances are you are not going to get it back. There is a market for stolen phones, but generally this is a theft of service. Thieves are doing this for themselves. A stolen phone with cancelled service can still be used. The thief can remove the SIM card, insert their own, and continue using the stolen phone. However, there is a way to ensure they can’t .
If you know your phone’s serial number you can render the device unusable remotely through your cell provider.
If you don’t (no worries, most will not), you can find it this way:
If your phone uses the Global Systems Mobile Communications standard (GSM), you can punch star-hash-zero-six-hash ( * # 0 6 # ) into the phone to reveal your fifteen digit IMEI code. Write this down and keep it somewhere. It might not get you your phone back, but it will foil some punks unscrupulous behavior.
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