Buying a new iPhone nowadays can be costly and expensive for most of the people. If you are not in Class A and basically buying a new iPhone means a hole in your pocket, then the best option would be to look for a second hand iPhone unit.
The idea of buying a second-hand iPhone is cheap and practical.
However, we must check if the iPhone is stolen before handing over our hard-earned money to the second-hand phone seller. Many iPhones are sold online on sites like Olx.ph and buying online creates the danger of accepting a stolen iPhone and therefore throwing your money down the drain.
The best option for a person looking for a second-hand iPhone to avoid the danger of buying a stolen unit would be to go to a second-hand phone dealer, particularly in Greenhills, and check to see if the iPhone is stolen.
Here are some steps on how to check if an iPhone is stolen that you should take when you decide to buy a second-hand iPhone to avoid being scammed into buying an iPhone that was reported stolen.
When a mobile device is lost or stolen, the owner can usually contact their local operator to request that it be locked.
If the local operator owns an Equipment Identity Registry (EIR), then it will put the IMEI of the device in it and can optionally report it to the Central Equipment Identity Registry (CEIR), which blacklists the device from all all other operator switches that use the CEIR. .
With this blacklist in place, the device becomes locked and unusable on any carrier that uses the CEIR, making theft of mobile equipment a worthless business proposition, unless it’s for parts.
Remember, a fool won’t exist if we don’t let ourselves be fooled!
These are the steps to follow to check if the iPhone is stolen or not.
1.) Get iPhone IMEI Number
Tap the Settings icon on the iPhone home screen, tap General, and then tap About. Scroll down to the bottom and copy the number displayed in the IMEI field.
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Touch the phone app to open the dial pad on the screen. Dial *#06#. Copy the IMEI shown.
2.) Visit the blacklist site
Open your browser and go to the site http://www.iphone-unlockme.com/LostorStolen.htm.
Enter the IMEI number and check the status of the iPhone you want to buy.
The site will then validate your IMEI number to check if the iPhone is stolen. Next, a report will be given about the status and result of the IMEI check.
If the Status indicates “Available”, then you can rest assured that the iPhone is not a stolen unit.
3.) Ask the seller or owner to disable Find My iPhone
Ask the seller of the iPhone to access Find My iPhone and use their function to erase the data on the iPhone so that it is erased and the Activation Lock status is turned OFF.
Accessing Find My iPhone requires the owner to enter the password of the Apple ID connected to the iPhone. If the current “owner” of the iPhone is unable to do so, the device may be stolen.
4.) Call your nearest mobile phone company or Apple branch
Since the iPhone is an Apple product, one of the best ways to check if the iPhone is stolen is to visit the nearest
Apple store and give them the IMEI to see if the iPhone you plan to buy or have bought is a stolen unit.
5.) Check Activation Lock Status
Go to the Apple Activation Lock Status website http://www.icloud.com/activationlock.
Write the IMEI or serial number in the box
Enter the CAPTCHA code shown
Click Continue.
The next screen will tell you if the iPhone has Activation Lock turned on.
What the results mean
If Activation Lock is off, you’re clean.
However, if Activation Lock is on, a couple of things may be happening:
a.) The phone is stolen
– An iPhone sold with Activation Lock still enabled could mean the device is stolen, as a thief probably won’t be able to disable Activation Lock. Ask the seller to disable the feature and check again.
If they refuse or can’t do it, don’t buy that phone.
b.) The seller forgot to disable activation lock
– An honest seller may have forgotten to disable activation lock. Ask them to disable the feature.
If they do, it’s okay to buy.
When buying a used iPhone, be sure to ask for the IMEI or serial number before you buy and use this tool to check the condition of the device. It will save you money and frustration.
Tool Limitations
This tool is not connected to any police system, so it does not compare police reports of stolen devices.
This only checks the activation lock status.
If your iPhone is running on iOS 6 or below, it will not work as this feature works with iOS 7.
Essentially, these are the steps to check if your iPhone is stolen or not.