Blocked phone ?

[the_big_d]

Hi, I recently 'lost' my mobile phone. Luckily it was insured & I now have a replacement. I got a new sim & im using it in the new phone at the moment. I have now found my old phone again but not switched it back on yet. Im guessing the phone itself will be blocked ? if i put my new sim in the old phone can the phone be 'detected' by my network operator ? Can it be un-barred ? does the IEMI need to be changed or something ? It's a nokia N95 by the way.
Thanks.

[tinkerbell2811]

you IMEI will be blacklisted with your service provider. If your phone insurance was through the mobile network then changing the imei would need to be done. if you have say done it through a bank or 3 rd party then you should be ok to get it unblocked.

i would be carfull if you go down the route of changing IMEI tho

[the_big_d]

i would be carfull if you go down the route of changing IMEI tho

What do you mean by that ? is it easy to get it changed ?
The insurance was through the service provider

[tinkerbell2811]

If it was our service providor then you will not be able to unblacklisted it
am sure changing an IMEIis Ilegal!

[the_big_d]

Thanks for the info, if i got the IEMI changed to the same as my new phone will it detect 2 phones with the same number ?

[Seasider]

If you had them both turned on with sim cards from the same network in them you would probably find that one would have network access denied. If you had them both on different networks they would more than likely work ok

[tinkerbell2811]

you wont be able to use an exisiting IMEI

[Manic01]

Home Secretary David Blunkett introduced a new law making re-programming IMEI numbers punishable by up to five years in jail. This new law became active on the 4th October 2002

[Seasider]

Home Secretary David Blunkett introduced a new law making re-programming IMEI numbers punishable by up to five years in jail. This new law became active on the 4th October 2002

Exactly, and why it should not be done !!

Always wondered about this one though ..... My phone is damaged beyond repair, so I buy a blocked one of the same model. I change the IMEI or the blocked one to be the same as my scrap phone. How illegal would this be ? I know Samsung do this for a fact and no doubt all the others do too

[the_big_d]

Well been round a few phone repair places (even a few dodgy looking ones) & was told the same thing, cant change the IEMI but the phone would work ok outside the UK.

Anybody outside the UK wanna buy a Nokia N95 8g with TomTom

[Jim.Mahoney]

Most modern cellular equipment has the IMEI embedded in a OTP (One Time Programmable) Chip and unless you replace this them IMEI change is impossible. It is also beyond the capabilities of the dodgy back street dealer, so indeed changing the IMEI can't be done!

IMEI tampering is illegal in the UK with a jail term of up to 5 years! Here in South Africa it carries a maximum jail term of 25 years!!

Technically even asking for an IMEI change is a criminal offence in some countries.

Sell it on e-bay by placing it on the German site or similar...

[xant14]

I think its a good thing NOT being able to use a blocked IMEI phone. If it deters even one toerag from mugging some young kid of his pride and joy, thats one happier person.