Cellphone Theft: Wireless Carriers Join Forces To Build Database Of Stolen Phones

WASHINGTON — Cellphone companies and the government are trying to make it as difficult to use a stolen cellphone as it is to sell a stolen car.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said in a statement late Monday that major cellphone carriers and the Federal Communications Commission have agreed to set up a database of identification numbers that are unique to each phone.

Using the list, cellular carriers will be able to permanently disable a phone once it's been reported stolen. Until now, U.S. carriers have only been disabling so-called "SIM" cards, which can be swapped in and out. That's enabled a black market to exist for stolen phones.

Schumer said that the goal of the agreement is to make a stolen cellphone "as worthless as an empty wallet."

He has said that unique ID numbers known as International Mobile Equipment Identity numbers are already effectively used in Europe to deter stealing.

Schumer also said he will introduce legislation to make it a federal crime to alter or tamper with a phone's IMEI number.

According to New York police, 42 percent of all property crimes of individuals in New York City in 2011 involved a cell phone, and some crimes have been accompanied by violence. Both iPhones and Android phones use SIM card technology that makes them susceptible to being resold after thefts.

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Comments

[dbrett480]

08:12 PM on 04/11/2012

I think it would be cool if stolen phones would self-destruct. After a few dead crooks, I don't think we would have a problem with stolen phones anymore.

[jonny dipstick]

09:30 AM on 04/10/2012

Part of the problem is that there will always be theft and people figuring out ways to get around stuff. The other part is that these cell phone companies in the US suck. They are just as corrupt as the thieves stealing these phones.

[KingCashio]

08:58 AM on 04/10/2012

Here's yet another example of our people friends, corporations not doing anything about a problem within its industry until the government holds it's hand.

Sorry teapers, but these examples are everywhere.

[torriee]

08:48 AM on 04/10/2012

This is an effort in the right direction

[Micheal Frisbie]

08:29 AM on 04/10/2012

if i am reading and interpreting this correctly... the new system would also make it impossible to sell your phone or buy a phone that is not registered with your carrier and tied into a plan or contract... which carriers are using to force users to buy, renew, or extend their existing contracts.

[jonny dipstick]

09:31 AM on 04/10/2012

Exactly. Who is the thief again?

[LukeGed]

08:15 AM on 04/10/2012

If they can disable your phone if it's been reported stolen, they can disable it even if it's not. Just another control measure and the Fed's want in, and the consumer doesn't give it half a thought because we think the carriers are looking out for us. Yea right.

[Phreaked]

07:08 AM on 04/10/2012

LOL they already have lost/stolen files for cell phones but the procedures around them are completely arbitrary and good luck getting off it if your phone is reported by accident or maliciously.

[Sheldon archer]

06:26 AM on 04/10/2012

It may be a crime to alter the phone serial number but what do the thieves care? It is a crime to steal them in the first place.

[georgecarlin76]

05:48 AM on 04/10/2012

They sell your GPS coordinates to law enforcement without a warrant for $30 so why cant they locate your phone for you? These Telecoms are fraudulent thieves and we need to support a carrier who guards privacy.

[Java1959]

03:33 AM on 04/10/2012

This law sounds like a "loophole" in-the-making. Especially coming from Schuemer. The big boys are lobbying for this and that means it can't be good for the end user.

[Brogrammer]

02:54 AM on 04/10/2012

This will only stop common street thugs. This will not stop the cell cloners and people shipping the devices overseas. This is useless as well because many carriers allow BringYourOwnDevice, such as Cricket, and many regional providers.

[jasonedward]

03:22 AM on 04/10/2012

nevermind my comment

[blingbling65943]

02:22 AM on 04/10/2012

As a teenager in the 90's, my first cell phones were all illegal, and the SIM card is what I bought to make my phone work. They would "Burn out" and I had to buy a new one. 

But that all came to an end by 2000, not sure exactly why, guys were being thrown in jail for years and I thought  technology had evolved. 

Hard to believe this is still such and issue. My guess is there is more to this law then meets the eye.

[Luna C666]

01:45 AM on 04/10/2012

I don't like it. I'm an android developer and quite frankly this scares the hell outta me...

[ver1tas]

02:48 AM on 04/10/2012

I'm an android user and I'd like to know why? I'm curious... please elaborate.

[Brogrammer]

02:56 AM on 04/10/2012

...Isn't it obvious... They can remotely stop cellphones from operating correctly based on the notion they are stolen. With CDMA tech, this could mean that if say Verizon changes your contract and you cancel without an ETF fee, they will have the right to "down" said device. This will also allow ANYONE to get your phone reported stolen using ESN or IMEI cloning software, and a little social engineering.

[Luna C666]

04:19 AM on 04/10/2012

Anytime the government wants to track your phone or make unlocking a device illegal for users, there is something unnerving. Especially since users can do this without the law and companies can find stolen phones fairly quickly if they wanted to without making a new class of felonies for 'hacking'...as other users said, there are legitimate reasons to clone a device's IMEI number, say wanting to take your phone to another carrier- buy that carrier's phone and clone the IMEI from it over to your current device and viola new service provider, same old phone. This would be a felony act if they pass such legislation. Scary to me, a programmer, who might just have to clone a device myself one day for debugging, data retrieval, etc.

[WilliamP]

01:21 AM on 04/10/2012

That guy in the picture is so tiny! Is that Photoshopped? I can't even bother reading the article, it's so weird.

[rayinprague]

04:27 AM on 04/10/2012

It is a wide angle lens. It distorts the sizes.

[Capn Scott]

01:09 AM on 04/10/2012

"Schumer also said he will introduce legislation to make it a federal crime to alter or tamper with a phone's IMEI number."

Bad idea. There are legitimate reasons for consumers to be allowed to clone IMEI numbers. For instance, if you want to move you Verizon iPhone to Sprint, you could just buy a cheap disposable Sprint phone, and clone the IMEI number from it to your iphone, and your iphone would work on the Sprint network.
The alternative is that you are forced to buy an expensive new phone whenever you switch carriers.

[Hardy Blacklord]

01:36 AM on 04/10/2012

"The alternative is that you are forced to buy an expensive new phone whenever you switch carriers."

That is the plan.

[Luna C666]

01:46 AM on 04/10/2012

Well, when has 'it's a felony' ever stopped a criminal? Much less...an end user who enjoys modifications and hacking their own personal devices?