Buying a second-hand or refurbished mobile phone is a good option to get a good terminal at a lower price than the original. However, you need to take a number of precautions before doing this, as you may find yourself with a stolen cell phone in your hands.
There is a very simple process you can go through to find out if your next mobile has been stolen or not, that is, to verify its authenticity. It's clear that nobody wants to be scammed when buying a device with these features, nobody wants to lose money on a purchase like this. Therefore, it is best to check from where the cell phone comes from before launching into its acquisition. Let's see how to do it.
How to know if a new mobile has been stolen or not
These methods will help you know if the mobile you are about to buy has been stolen or not.
You search the net, find a second-hand phone that looks ideal, and when you receive it, you realize it's been stolen. To avoid running into illegal problems, it's best verify the authenticity and legality of the terminal before buying it.
While you might think this is a bit complicated, it's not, because there is a procedure that allows you to access a database with which you can check if the phone you are about to buy is stolen or not.
È the database of international numbering plans, specializing in numbering plans relating to worldwide communications. This institution has several free services for personal and online use, one of which is the request for the IMEI number of the mobile to see if it appears in the blacklists of stolen terminals.
To verify legality via IMEI you will obviously need the IMEI of the phone you are about to buy. If you do not have prior access to the smartphone itself, it is necessary ask the seller documentation to verify this information. If the seller is trustworthy, they will agree to give it to you without any problem.
On the other hand, if you can have the phone you are about to buy in your hands, you have the option to see the IMEI for yourself. You can do it from Settings> About phone, by dialing * # 06 # in the phone app or in the terminal block itself.
After writing down the IMEI of the mobile you are going to buy, you have to follow these steps to check if it has been stolen or not:
- Enter the IMEI Analysis section of the International Numbering Plans.
- Enter the IMEI of the mobile phone you are about to buy in the field of testo and click on "Analyze".
- In seconds International Numbering Plans will tell you if everything is correct or not. As you can see in the screenshot below, the website has confirmed that the IMEI we entered appears to be correct, but that does not contain information about the specific phone. If you wish, you can manually add the information so that it appears in your database.
International numbering plans tell you if the mobile is stolen if you tell him his IMEI.
In the event that the mobile you are about to buy is stolen, the site will notify you immediately confirming that the situation of the phone is not correct. Therefore, you can avoid such a purchase and escape future problems. Don't worry, there are plenty of other second-hand phones that are compliant with the regulations.
Remember this is important buy always in trusted thrift stores, who have opinions from many more users and who send you all the smartphone documentation without difficulty. So you can buy your next mobile phone and enjoy it with peace of mind.
