How to lock the phone if it was stolen? How to block a phone number

In life, there are times of trouble. One of them may be the case when someone steals someone else's phone for profit. It happens that the state of the device can not get a lot of money - the phone can be old, broken or inexpensive initially. But the former owner of the device is upset, if only because someone gets into possession of all personal files and data. Agree, it is unpleasant.

In order to prevent such a development of the situation, you just need to lock your phone. In this article, we'll talk about how to lock the phone if it's stolen, as well as what actions to take next.

We differentiate concepts - phone and SIM-card

In the beginning, I would like to distinguish between two concepts, and they need to be distinguished: it is the phone itself (the physical device) and the SIM card that is installed in it. In order to prevent intruders from seeing your private correspondence, photos and other data, it's enough to have a security key on your smartphone (password). If you have a device based on the Android or iOS operating system, then without resetting all the parameters, thieves will not be able to access your files. Therefore, if they perform such a reset, all the information you left on the device will be deleted. Even without a complete lock on the phone.

The function of such a lock is different: it consists in preventing fraudsters from selling your phone. On how to do this, read on.

As for the SIM card, it is blocked so that scammers can not make calls from your number and vice versa - no one called to the number. Another card is blocked if a copy is made from the operator (how often the victims of mobile theft arrive). Those who want to deactivate the card are asked how to block the number. We will discuss this in the next chapter.

Card lock

Make it so that your SIM card is no longer functioning, it's very simple. It is enough to call the operator and ask to deactivate your number. To confirm the action from you will need the following information: 3-4 numbers, which were most often made calls, data on the status of the account, as well as information about the last replenishment of the balance. It is not necessary to call everything to a penny - it's important simply to show that you are oriented, at least approximately. This is the whole instruction on how to block the phone number. The operator will accept the application and make the card turn off from the network.

In this regard, it is worth noting the following: as a rule, intruders independently take out the card as quickly as possible from the stolen device. The reason for this we will explain a little further. At this stage, you understand how to lock the number, it's quite simple. On the phone this action will not affect, but the card itself will make a useless piece of plastic.

Lock by IMEI

As for the deactivation of the device, then the procedure is about the same. Just as you can block the phone number, you can also ask about the disconnection of the phone itself. However, for this you need more information than just the most popular numbers, balance and replenishment. It is important to know the secret 15-digit code that each mobile phone is identified. It is called IMEI. Having reported this value to the operator, you can turn your device into unusable.

Some operators give instructions on how to lock the phone. MTS, for example, says that it is necessary to do this procedure as quickly as possible - before the thief has time to take the SIM card out of the device. If you do not have time, then it will be more difficult to determine where the phone is located.

In order for everything to happen as it should, it is necessary to contact the operator immediately after the theft, and, after dictating IMEI, ask to lock the device. If you have time, the phone will stop functioning even when the SIM card is removed from it later.

What is IMEI and how to recognize it?

However, if you are interested in how to lock the phone, if it was stolen, it is important to clarify one point about this 15-digit code. You can find it in two ways. The first is a combination of * 06 #, which will show the code assigned to your device on the screen. It works on any models of devices. The second way is the original box in which the mobile device was sold. There you can also find IMEI.

Ideally, it is necessary that the victim of fraudsters contact the operator and inform them of the code as soon as possible after the theft. Accordingly, for this, she needs to have IMEI at hand. And who of us carries this 15-digit number? Many do not even suspect of its existence.

Contact the police

Knowing how to lock the phone, if it was stolen, is only half the battle. In fact, the task of any owner is not just to do what was stolen, useless, but also to return the thing. This should be addressed to the nearest police station, where you will receive a statement regarding the incident. Law enforcers will have to write down the IMEI number for further searches of the device and at the same time take from you the description of the person you suspect, possibly, they will find out some more additional information.

The procedure for contacting policemen is, in fact, more important than finding information about how to block a lost phone. Therefore, both of these actions must be performed as quickly as possible.

Search for a criminal

In the police (or more precisely - in the district office), your application for theft will be accepted, after which it will be developed in the so-called department "K". It is there that information on your case will be transmitted. Specialists of this unit receive instructions exclusively from police officers, so try not to contact them directly.

Law enforcers will contact mobile operators and look for where the device was registered with the number you indicated in the application. As soon as the signal from it is "marked", an operative group will be sent there, which will find out how this particular device appeared in this or that person.

Remember: the operator can recognize the location of the device only after appropriate requests from the police. Do it on his own initiative, he has no right. Therefore, you need not to have your thing returned to you, but to the police.

Device protection software

Finally, if you use a smartphone, in addition to the question of how to lock the phone, if it's stolen, you can also ask yourself how to manage your device. In this regard, an interesting solution was offered in Apple, having smashed the AppleID phones.

For Android, there are some third-party applications that can take photos from a stolen phone and send it online, send messages to the screen and so on. For simple phones, of course, such solutions will not work.