AT&T starting to block stolen iphones from their network?

[aneftp]

Interesting. Att said they would start blocking phones reported stolen or lost from their network. This is first time I have heard it happening.

I know T-Mobile has been blocking phones reported lost stolen or bills past due. But this is first I heard from ATT doing it.

I read this over on Howard forums. Maybe att started enforcing this and blacklisting phones where customer hasn't paid their bills or reported it lost or stolen. This will make craigslist deals a lot more dangerous.


www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1775957-Stuck-with-iPhone-At-amp-t-says-is-stolen-Options

 

[falterego]

From my recollection AT&T has always blocked stolen devices from accessing their network. My first phone was with AT&T back in 2002 and it was stolen about 6 months after I got it. A quick call to AT&T customer service and I was assured that once it was reported stolen to AT&T they did not let the phone access their network ever again, unless it was returned to the original owner and they went with their receipt and valid ID to an AT&T store to have it unblocked.

Then again, that was 10 years ago, and I haven't done business with them in the past 8 years, so their policies could have changed, but I don't see why they would.

 

[Geckotek]

From my recollection AT&T has always blocked stolen devices from accessing their network.

They stoppes some time ago. I tried my hardest to get them to lock my stolen 3Gs but they refused.

BTW, this story is a couple of months old.

https://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/06/att-unveiling-new-blocking-service-for-stolen-phones-next-week/

 

[aneftp]

I don't think so. Cause there was article a few months ago that came out that stated att would start blocking lost stolen phones.

mobile.theverge.com/2012/7/6/3140670/at-t-block-stolen-phones

 

[kannesss]

I thought only verizon did it. Crazy. People steal phones where I live like crazy.

 

[aneftp]

They stoppes some time ago. I tried my hardest to get them to lock my stolen 3Gs but they refused.

BTW, this story is a couple of months old.

https://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/06/att-unveiling-new-blocking-service-for-stolen-phones-next-week/

I know about the old story. But this is first time I have heard someone personally posting that a att iPhone got blacklisted.

As more people catch on. This will kill resell value unless you have proof to potential craigslist buyer you are rightful owner like having original receipt etc. Or buyers will want to call att on the spot to register imei number of phone during the craigslist transactions to make sure its not stolen.

I live in orlando and there was guy who said he got scammed by this method but he didn't disclose which carrier. I just assumed it was with T-Mobile Verizon or sprint.

 

[Geckotek]

This is why I prefer to meet in their carrier's store, so they can get a sim in it and test it.

 

[Mr Hill]

Yeah AT&T does it now. A friend of mine bought a 3GS from some guy on Craigslist and AT&T wouldn't let him use it because it had been reported stolen. Guess all 4 carriers do this now. T-Mobile has also started doing this for phones when people don't pay their bill or their EIP.

 

[Applejuiced]

Happened to my cousin a few weeks ago.
He bought a 4S on ebay. Worked good for about a week and then no service.
They also shut off his sim and blocked his line on his account for using a stolen/lost iphone.
He had to call them up and explain to get his sim and account active again. But the 4S is still blacklisted.
He's trying to get a refund from paypal right now.

T-Mobile has also started doing this for phones when people don't pay their bill or their EIP.

Its not when they dont pay their bill. Its when the phone is reported to the carrier as lost or stolen then the IMEI is blacklisted for use in the US.

 

[Geckotek]

That's a crappy situation. Does he have any idea what the exact circumstances were? Does AT&T want the phone back? Would they return it to the owner?

 

[ixodes]

A bit of clarification is needed. AT&T has blocked stolen phones since I first opened an account twelve years ago. However, they could only apply the policy to phones reported stolen by the owner / account holder. Again, that was years ago. Then when law enforcement began asking the carriers to use triangleation to track phones, AT&T added that to their policy.

Next up was the advent of GPS equipped phones. Then most recently the decision to become very pro-active with the tracking of stolen AT&T phones, as well as non-AT&T phones running on their network, but not registered.

I've purchased many unlocked, foreign, non-AT&T phones in the past & present. Recently I forgot to call in once I had begun using a domestic market (Hong Kong) Galaxy. Not being a locked AT&T phone, nor one on their list of unique identifiers, I immediately received a text from them.

Once I called in & explained the situation, it was just a few minutes to register the phone on the system. It's always been a pleasure to deal with AT&T.

 

[aneftp]

Happened to my cousin a few weeks ago.
He bought a 4S on ebay. Worked good for about a week and then no service.
They also shut off his sim and blocked his line on his account for using a stolen/lost iphone.
He had to call them up and explain to get his sim and account active again. But the 4S is still blacklisted.
He's trying to get a refund from paypal right now.



Its not when they dont pay their bill. Its when the phone is reported to the carrier as lost or stolen then the IMEI is blacklisted for use in the US.

Well this sucks. Makes cost of buying used phones more expensive when you involve a middle man (eBay) for both buyer and seller. EBay/PayPal take their usual 6-8% plus shipping.
Or will have to meet at corporate att store.

Scammers probably have 6-12 months before most of public is aware this policy is in full force.

 

[Applejuiced]

That's a crappy situation. Does he have any idea what the exact circumstances were? Does AT&T want the phone back? Would they return it to the owner?

Nope, they didnt want the phone returned.
They just told him to contact paypal or his credit card company cause now he's stuck.

A bit of clarification is needed. AT&T has blocked stolen phones since I first opened an account twelve years ago. However, they could only apply the policy to phones reported stolen by the owner / account holder. Again, that was years ago. Then when law enforcement began asking the carriers to use triangleation to track phones, AT&T added that to their policy.

Next up was the advent of GPS equipped phones. Then most recently the decision to become very pro-active with the tracking of stolen AT&T phones, as well as non-AT&T phones running on their network, but not registered.

I never heard of AT&T ever blacklisting any of their GSM phones untill a few months now that they came out with the new shared blacklisted database for all US carriers.
I tried years back, they didnt care or bother to do anything when I lost my phone.
And also the police can care less about lost or stolen cellphones, they got better things to do and real crimes to deal with. They didnt pressure anything or any carrier to use GPS or triangulation to track stolen phones. That's nonsense. Where did you get that from?

 

[Geckotek]

Nope, they didnt want the phone returned.
They just told him to contact paypal or his credit card company cause now he's stuck.

That sucks. Back in the day I found a phone or 2 and I took them to the carrier who (I assume) got them back to the owner.

 

[Applejuiced]

That sucks. Back in the day I found a phone or 2 and I took them to the carrier who (I assume) got them back to the owner.

That's what I would hope most will do but kinda hard trusting some of those sales reps to do the legwork to track the original owner and not sell it or keep it themselves.