Stealing cell phones just got a lot less lucrative
Stealing cell phones just got a lot less lucrative
The newest tool in the war against phone snatchers: a country-wide blacklist to help deny cell service to stolen devices. Anyone whose phone is swiped or lost can, as of yesterday, report its IMEI number to their carrier to have it added to the Canadian database (to find a phone’s IMEI, enter *#06# or look on the white label under the battery). Participating service providers, which include Rogers, Bell, Telus and Wind Mobile, will not allow any blacklisted device to be used on their networks. Still willing to risk Craigslist’s secondhand phone market? Check the stolen IMEI database before handing over any cash. [CBC]
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/stolen-cell-phone-blacklist/&title=Stealing cell phones just got a lot less lucrative&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/cell-phone-blacklist-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_238498" align="aligncenter" width="656"] (Image: Yutaka Tsutano)[/caption]
The newest tool in the war against phone snatchers: a country-wide blacklist to help deny cell service to stolen devices. Anyone whose phone is swiped or lost can, as of yesterday, report its IMEI number to their carrier to have it added to the Canadian database (to find a phone’s IMEI, enter *#06# or look on the white label under the battery). Participating service providers, which include Rogers, Bell, Telus and Wind Mobile, will not allow any blacklisted device to be used on their networks. Still willing to risk Craigslist’s secondhand phone market? Check the stolen IMEI database before handing over any cash. [CBC]){kind=link}
What about creating a database on firearms?
Legally purchased firearms are all logged by the RCMP in Canada. If you’re suggesting a database on black market firearms, you might as well be asking for coke and heroine dealers to claim a T4 at tax time.
… What about a Database on Coke and Heroine dealers then?…
They have those too, they’re called criminal records.