Buy a second hand mobile phone? Beware, if it is cheap, it might be stolen, blacklisted or cloned. The Cyber Crime Branch of Rajasthan Police warns that if you buy a second hand phone and do not check it, you could land in big trouble. The Cyber Crime Branch says it can land you in cyber fraud, lose money and land you in legal trouble.
Additional DG of Police (Cyber Crime) V.K. Singh issued this warning, stating that criminals often sell stolen or illegally acquired phones in the second-hand market. So, don’t assume a low price means it’s a good deal.
To stay safe, police advise using the Know Your Mobile (KYM) service on the CEIR portal from the Central Telecommunications Department to check any used phone. KYM lets you know if the phone is real or cloned, if it’s been blacklisted because of theft or loss, and if the seller’s info checks out.
The IMEI number of a mobile phone can be obtained by dialing *#06#. Consumers can then check the mobile's complete information and status via SMS, the KYM mobile app, or the CEIR portal.
The Cyber Crime Branch has clearly stated that if a mobile phone's status appears "blacklisted" or "blocked," it should not be purchased. Such a mobile phone may be linked to crime and could cause problems for the buyer in the future.
The police have also appealed to immediately report any incident of cyber fraud or online cheating to the cyber helpline 1930, cyber crime portal or the nearest police station, so that timely action can be taken.