How to check if a phone is stolen
A snatched phone is usually resold within days, so a stolen check is one of the few things that can end a deal outright. Here is how to check before you buy, and how to report a phone that was taken from you.
If you are buying
Get the IMEI with *#06# and run it through Mobilo’s free check before any money moves. If a reviewed stolen report exists, Mobilo tells you plainly not to buy and shows the last four digits so you can confirm it is the phone in front of you.
A clear result means no report has reached Mobilo. Most thefts are never reported anywhere, so treat it as one signal among several — not an all-clear.
If your phone was taken
Report it. You will need the IMEI — from the box, or from a device where you noted it — and a phone number Mobilo can send a code to. Report it to the police as well; Mobilo is a marketplace registry, not a law-enforcement record.
The code is not red tape: a false report can destroy an honest seller’s sale, so Mobilo reviews every report by hand before it has any public effect.
Common questions
- Does a clear check guarantee the phone is not stolen?
- No. It means no reviewed report has reached Mobilo. Combine it with the PTA check, the account sign-out and seeing the phone in person.
- How fast does a report take effect?
- A report has no public effect until a moderator approves it; Mobilo aims to review each one within 24 hours.
- I got my phone back — can I withdraw the report?
- Yes. The person who filed it can withdraw it, and the flag lifts immediately.