How to find your lost mobile phone?

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) set up a new dedicated helpline to report lost or stolen mobile phones.
• It set up a new dedicated helpline to report lost or stolen mobile phones.
• A new project called Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) blocks lost or stolen mobile phones.
• CEIR will also try and trace phones.

We all know how difficult it is to report the loss or theft of a mobile phone. Whether it is about the data in the phone or the value of the phone itself, we have all been through this at some point of time in our lives. Now, the Indian government has come to the rescue of such people.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) set up a new dedicated helpline to report lost or stolen mobile phones. This is a part of a new project called Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) which blocks lost or stolen mobile phones. CEIR will also try and trace phones.

It is expected that the CEIR project will also help in discouraging the theft of mobile phones.

However, the DoT also acknowledged the possibility of thieves re-programming the IMEI numbers. “IMEI number being programmable, some miscreants do reprogram the IMEI number, which results in cloning of IMEI causing multiple phone devices with same IMEI number. As on date, there are many cases of cloned/duplicated IMEI handsets in the network,” said DoT.

This would understandably put genuine users at the risk of being blocked CEIR accounts for this, and so, duplicate/fake IMEI numbers will be removed based on reports.

How to report lost or stolen mobile phones in India?

Under the CEIR project, the DoT has set up a dedicated portal and a helpline number 14422.

• Users will have to first file a First Information Report (FIR).
• Inform DoT through helpline number 14422.
• Once verified, the mobile phone will be blocked by DoT.

If the miscreant uses the phone with a new SIM, they will be identified by the respective service provider and reported to the police.