Check if a used phone is stolen or blacklisted (IMEI)

Buying a second-hand phone that turns out to be stolen is a real risk. Such a phone may be blocked on Indian mobile networks, and you could lose both the phone and your money. The Government of India gives everyone a free way to check a phone's IMEI before buying it: the Sanchar Saathi portal of the Department of Telecommunications, which includes the CEIR system for lost and stolen phones.

This guide shows how to run the check, what the results mean, and what to do if your own phone is lost or stolen.

Step 1: find the phone's IMEI

The IMEI is a 15-digit number that identifies a phone on mobile networks. Dual-SIM phones have two. To see it:

• Dial *#06# on the phone. The IMEI appears on the screen.
• Or look in Settings → About phone (Android) or Settings → General → About (iPhone).
• It is also printed on the original box, and often on the bill. On a phone you are buying, the IMEI on the screen should match the box and the bill.

Step 2: check it on Sanchar Saathi

On the Sanchar Saathi portal, the service is called Know Genuineness Of Your Mobile Handset (it is also known as Know Your Mobile, or KYM). You can use it in three ways:

• SMS: send KYM followed by the 15-digit IMEI to 14422, for example KYM 123456789012345.
• Website: enter the IMEI on the IMEI verification page of the Sanchar Saathi portal.
• App: the Sanchar Saathi app on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Step 3: read the result

The check tells you whether the IMEI is valid and which brand and model it belongs to. Compare that with the phone in front of you: a different model is a warning sign on its own.

The CEIR page is clear about the bad results: if the status shows the phone as black-listed, duplicate or already in use, avoid buying it. A black-listed phone has usually been reported lost or stolen. A duplicate IMEI can mean the number was copied onto another device.

Other checks when buying a used phone

• Account lock: an iPhone must be signed out of the seller's Apple Account with Find My off, and an Android phone must have the seller's Google account removed. Otherwise you may not be able to use it after a reset. Our guides on Activation Lock and Google accounts explain why.
• Paperwork: ask for the bill and the box with the same IMEI. A seller with neither should at least show ID and let you check the IMEI.
• How it works: test the screen, speaker, microphone and cameras. Our free phone test runs in the phone's browser.
• Payment: pay only once you have checked the phone. Never share a UPI PIN or OTP to receive money; you never need one to receive a payment.

If your own phone is lost or stolen

You can ask for the phone to be blocked on all mobile networks in India through the Block Your Lost / Stolen Mobile Handset service on Sanchar Saathi. The CEIR page lists these steps:

1. File a police report and keep a copy.
2. Get a duplicate SIM for your number from your mobile operator. The one-time password is sent to this number, and SMS on a reissued SIM starts working after 24 hours.
3. Keep the police report and an identity proof ready (the purchase bill is optional).
4. Fill in the blocking request on the CEIR website or in the Sanchar Saathi app, and save the Request ID. You need it to check the status and to unblock the phone if you find it.

Lost money to a phone scam?

If you were cheated in a phone deal, for example with a fake payment screenshot, call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or report it on cybercrime.gov.in as soon as possible.

Selling or buying with Changekro

When you sell your phone to Changekro, the executive checks the phone and its IMEI at your door before paying you, and a phone reported blocked or stolen can't be bought. You show one government photo ID after the price is agreed, and you get a bill of sale that proves the phone is no longer yours. Doorstep pickup runs in these cities.

Buying instead? Every refurbished phone we sell has been signed out of the previous owner's accounts, wiped and tested, and comes with a 12-month warranty.