Protection from ATT&T locked Iphone 6

[frank37]

I am looking to buy an iPhone 6 for a good price from somebody on craigslist. The imei is good. However it's locked with AT&T. What are some of the ways, if I do purchase it, that I can protect myself from him reporting it stolen after I purchase it?

 

[ardchoille50]

Be sure to check for activation lock prior to purchasing it:
https://www.icloud.com/activationlock/

 

[C DM]

Unfortunately not much you can do to prevent the seller later reporting it as stolen/lost. Seems like a loophole of sorts that the carriers haven't dealt with (on purpose or not).