If you are planning to buy a second-hand phone, it is best to ensure the phone was not stolen as it could land you in a legal mess. Apple iPhones are easily trackable using their Find My iPhone and are less likely to get stolen while the non-Apple phones do not come with that privilege.
If you are buying an iPhone, you could ask its owner to disable the Find My iPhone feature to confirm that it's not a stolen phone. On the contrary, you will have to use CTIA's Stolen Phone Checker service on non-Apple smartphones to verify the phone's true owner.
The Stolen Phone Checker service offers ten years of a device's history along with the device's model number info and other hardware specifications. The use of such service should help law enforcement authorities and consumers to make informed buying decisions and avert the resale of lost and stolen mobile phones.
Here's how to check if the phone you are buying was stolen:
- Open the URL: stolenphonechecker.org/spc/consumer on your device (the one you intend to buy).
- Enter the IMEI, MEID or ESN number of the phone you want to buy. For instance, if you are buying an iPhone then go to Settings > General > About. In case of non-Apple phones, you need to ask the owner to give you the IMEI number.
- Enter the captcha keyword when prompted and hit the submit button.
That's it. If the phone you are buying is from the legitimate owner, then you will see "Not reported lost or stolen" next to Device Status on the phone's display. You will also receive additional info about the device model, make and other details on the same screen.
Note: This feature is currently limited to the US and may not work as intended for international users.
