Starting next Friday, September 26, all mobile phone companies will be required to permanently block smartphones that have been reported as stolen, as long as the owner has reported the device's unique IMEI number to their company.
The measure was imposed by the National Telecommunications and Postal Commission with the aim of preventing thefts and their sale on the black market.
In practice, however, the IMEI number can be changed illegally (instructions can be easily found on the Internet), in which case the device will be able to function again.
For this reason, disabling based on the IMEI was deemed ineffective in the USA.
Starting in 2015, a different practice will be implemented in the US, as mobile phones from most major manufacturers (Apple, Google, HTC, Huawei, Motorola, Microsoft/Nokia and Samsung) will offer a special feature to disable stolen devices.
The process in Greece
A prerequisite for a mobile phone to be blacklisted is that the subscriber must provide the device's IMEI code to their provider. The unique IMEI code (International Mobile Equipment Identity) includes information about the manufacturer and model of the device.
If the phone is placed on the blacklist of prohibited IMEI numbers, its use is theoretically impossible even with a SIM card from another mobile carrier
Each subscriber can locate the IMEI code:
- In the device's packaging
- Pressing the keys * # 06 # on its device
- With the device's special application
To block the device, subscribers must first report the theft to the police and then submit a written request to their provider to deactivate the device, attaching proof of the theft report.
Every company that disables stolen devices of its subscribers simultaneously assumes the responsibility to inform the other mobile phone companies, which must proceed to disable the stolen devices on their own networks.
It is noted that the deactivation request is rejected if the declared IMEI code is not valid according to the relevant international specifications, or has not been assigned by the manufacturer to the device, so that it uniquely identifies it.
