and today when I was looking into unlocking my phone, I noticed that the system IMEI is different from the IMEI label on the back of the phone.
I am using a deep shining ROM. did the ROM flash over the IMEI or was my phone just messed up to begin with?
also is there a soft method of finding out whether or not my phone is already unlocked?
Sorry to say but that guy messed your over by changing the IMEI. Flashing a rom doesn't do anything to IMEI, special tools and software CAN change it, and that is what this guy did. You can't do anything to change that, as changing IMEI is downright illegal and you dont want to get caught up in that.
As for finding out if its unlocked, take another companies SIM CARD, ie if you are with ATT, go and get a Rogers, or whoever else uses a SIM CARD, and find out if it will work in the phone.
so, it is quite possible that this phone is stolen? damn... what are the potential consequences of that? if he switched the original IMEI to the current one that I have, what if someone legitamately uses the imei on the same network, am I going to be screwed?
SUBLIMINALLYINC said:
so, it is quite possible that this phone is stolen? damn... what are the potential consequences of that? if he switched the original IMEI to the current one that I have, what if someone legitamately uses the imei on the same network, am I going to be screwed?
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Click to collapse
No you will not get screwed. {Unless you really want to; then I'm sure we can arrange for it}
IMEI {International Mobile Electronics Identification} Numbers are uniqe to every phone, but the network does not {& I believe Cannot} read the IMEI. ESNs {Electronic Serial Numbers} are a different thing, as the CDMA networks use this # to Identify the devices network authenticity {in other words: Whether or not it's authorized to use the network}. GSM {Global SIM Management} Phones rely on the SIM card to authenticate the devices access to the network. An IMEI is never sent thru the network! That's like posting your social security # online {Mine's 420-69-840} About the only time that a false IMEI is a problem, is when you need to get it unlocked {as you are trying to}; or if you need to report it stolen/lost. If the latter is the case then you will need to provide the authorities with both IMEIs. This is in case the person that has it removes the label in the back. For unlocking the device, you need to give the # that's in the software; as this is the only # the phone knows. Oh yeah, You can't send it in to get HTC warranty service either
Have you tried asking the person you bought it from about this? I would!! I would want to know why he did it, how he did it, & where the other # came from. It is a possibility that he had replaced the Mainboard with another unit, but he should have changed the labels at the same time. I have done this with a few phones {combine a couple bad ones to make a good one}, but I always ensure the IMEI or ESN matches on the back & in the software! If you believe you were defrauded, then contact the authorities & explain it to them. If there is another phone with the same IMEI, they should be able to tell you.
It might either be that he changed the main board or the cover itself.. (hopefully he did not steal it..)
I wouldnt worry too much about it though. Just go with the IMEI that is displayed on your screen not on the back of the phone.
well i tried to get an unlock code by using the IMEI read off the system page on my diamond and the guy couldnt get aan unlock code; is there anyother way to get the correct code>?
SUBLIMINALLYINC said:
so, it is quite possible that this phone is stolen? damn... what are the potential consequences of that? if he switched the original IMEI to the current one that I have, what if someone legitamately uses the imei on the same network, am I going to be screwed?
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Click to collapse
Hi,
Maybe it is or it isn't (but it is possible). It depends on which country that person bought this phone and maybe he used warranty service. I had this issue myself.After 2 month My Diamond didn't recognize my simcard, i sent it for warranty and when it came back GPS didn't work. so i sent it again , when i received it, at repair center they said that they replace mainboard, so imei changes and i received written document that they replaced mainboard (my back panel imei and the imei that phone shows are different now).
for checking it , Goto this site : http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis&sub=imeinr
enter both imei and check them, if both are for diamond i think your mainboard is changed before, but if the imei that phone shows is belong to another handset (for Ex : a nokia one or another htc model) i can say 99% percent your phone is stolen.
i'd probably bet he's bought an "original" housing from auction site. i've done it many of times but i usually rip the imei sticker off, bear in mind the imei on the diamond is only on a metal plate, he may have forgot to change this part, he may have damaged his old imei sticker/plate, as stated above he may have changed his main board also, there is many possibilities.
don't worry about it, if your still a bit worried try the CheckMEND online service here:
http://www.checkmend.com/uk/
It costs £1.99 per go, (which you'd want to do both imei's) but you get a certificate telling you wahts dodgy or not about your phone.
it a great service if you feel a little worried.
While a new member, I've been following the community a bit and have flashed my Captivate successfully several times.
It started acting weird earlier this week (lagging and shutting itself off) so I decided to re-flash it and re-apply SRE with all the goodies it brings.
Since my last flash, the phone works fine (calls, messaging, and Internet) except for one problem - the Android Market.
I can access the market but am unable to download anything. I've tried many different solutions, ROM's (JF2, JH2, and JH3), 3G/WiFi, internal settings, clearing the Market cache, Dalvik cache, etc., using Market Access and going outside of AT&T's allowed applications, all to no avail. It's the same whether I attempt to download after a fresh flash or after applying SRE. I've also tried Unleash the Beast.
Finally I decided to call AT&T to find out if there was a problem somewhere on their end.
Here's the weird thing:
The IMEI I have on the sticker under my battery is that of a Captivate and matches what they have on record. The representative I spoke to told me that the IMEI I have in my phone's menu is an iPhone IMEI.
With all that being said, I have two questions:
1) How did this happen?
2) How can I fix it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
FrstdOne said:
While a new member, I've been following the community a bit and have flashed my Captivate successfully several times.
It started acting weird earlier this week (lagging and shutting itself off) so I decided to re-flash it and re-apply SRE with all the goodies it brings.
Since my last flash, the phone works fine (calls, messaging, and Internet) except for one problem - the Android Market.
I can access the market but am unable to download anything. I've tried many different solutions, ROM's (JF2, JH2, and JH3), 3G/WiFi, internal settings, clearing the Market cache, Dalvik cache, etc., using Market Access and going outside of AT&T's allowed applications, all to no avail. It's the same whether I attempt to download after a fresh flash or after applying SRE. I've also tried Unleash the Beast.
Finally I decided to call AT&T to find out if there was a problem somewhere on their end.
Here's the weird thing:
The IMEI I have on the sticker under my battery is that of a Captivate and matches what they have on record. The representative I spoke to told me that the IMEI I have in my phone's menu is an iPhone IMEI.
With all that being said, I have two questions:
1) How did this happen?
2) How can I fix it?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does your imei start with?
madjsp said:
What does your imei start with?
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Click to collapse
The one in the software starts with 004999
The one on the sticker starts with 351863
Iphone imei starts with 011. That rep doesnt know what hes doingp
did you ask them to update youe imei number? would likly fix it, could have just been an accident, from what i have read about 10% of imei number are not unique so somehting could have gotten messed up server side
vinunleaded182 said:
Iphone imei starts with 011. That rep doesnt know what hes doingp
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Click to collapse
also a quick google of the 0049 imei shows that there are several iphones with that imei
The rep who I've been working with is off today but she said she'd call me tomorrow. I'll ask her to update the number and hopefully she can.
Unfortunately, while I'm pretty much a noob to all this, I've found that I still know more than most of the people on the AT&T side and the rep I've been working with is the most knowledgeable of the group.
Did you go from an iphone to the samsung if so, it could be a translation issue on atts side which means the billing system never updated the imei to the switch because it errored out on the billing side happend all the time when i use to be a switch tech for att simple to fix just need to file a ticket with a certain department but can be a pain if the rep is new.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I thought the phone read its IMEI number from its own hardware. This thread implies that something on the network is telling the phone what its IMEI Number should be.
I know there are a lot of Ebay phones with bogus stickers - the stickers have one SN/EMEI number, but the phone internally says another.
Where did you get your phone?
I've never owned an iPhone and I purchased the Captivate from a corporate store, not from an authorized reseller or ebay.
wait cant this be useful if we can change the imei to a vibrant one we can get money off of data or would most of you feel bad for doing that (one good thing about that though for 10 dollars we get unlimited data)
labbu63 said:
wait cant this be useful if we can change the imei to a vibrant one we can get money off of data or would most of you feel bad for doing that (one good thing about that though for 10 dollars we get unlimited data)
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Click to collapse
You gotta pay to play. If you don't want to pay smartphone fees, don't get a smartphone. I'm sure we'd all like a break on price, but when it comes down to it, we can't get one, so we make do.
And unless the modmyi forum was wrong, that's illegal.
yeah i know but im just saying if someone isnt scared to go to jail
If the IMEI shows as 004999010640000, you might check out this thread. Good luck.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=777288
PS: you might want to look at this specific post in that thread.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8060884&postcount=33
BigJayDogg3 said:
You gotta pay to play. If you don't want to pay smartphone fees, don't get a smartphone. I'm sure we'd all like a break on price, but when it comes down to it, we can't get one, so we make do.
And unless the modmyi forum was wrong, that's illegal.
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Click to collapse
actually i was just looking at the library of congress's recent ruling on the DMCA and their new excemptions and read this
"
(3) Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.
"
sounds like to me that changing the imei is legal as long as the only reason you are doing it is to connect to a network that you are already authorized to use
xatrekak said:
actually i was just looking at the library of congress's recent ruling on the DMCA and their new excemptions and read this
"
(3) Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.
"
sounds like to me that changing the imei is legal as long as the only reason you are doing it is to connect to a network that you are already authorized to use
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Click to collapse
Changing The imei is illegal and has nothing to do with the DMCA. changing The imei is fraud like changing a car's vin number.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
alphadog00 i was wondering that, you wouldn't happen to be able to point out to me which law that is contained in, i have heard it was illegal like a million times but havn't seen the law yet. but i have always liked reading the actual laws that make the things i want to illegal
how do you know its illegal the DMCA was changed and said it was legal so until you find something that says its illegal we will never know
labbu63 said:
how do you know its illegal the DMCA was changed and said it was legal so until you find something that says its illegal we will never know
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Click to collapse
You are confusing unlocking with changing your IMEI. It is legal to unlock and hack, it is not legal to change the phone's network id.
xatrekak said:
alphadog00 i was wondering that, you wouldn't happen to be able to point out to me which law that is contained in, i have heard it was illegal like a million times but havn't seen the law yet. but i have always liked reading the actual laws that make the things i want to illegal
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Click to collapse
I can't point to you an exact law, but cloning phones has been considered fraudulent for years and people have been prosecuted. In changing the IMEI number, you are in essence cloning a phone - it may not exist yet, but it could. So once a new phone is made with the new EMEI number you created, you have created fraud.
After doing some research - this is the section of federal code that is used to prosecute cell phone cloners:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00001029----000-.html
U.S. Code: TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 47 > § 1029
§ 1029. Fraud and related activity in connection with access *devices
You may not get arrested for changing your IMEI (not one person anyway) but at some point the carrier will probably just black list your device or your account.
Changing the IMEI or ESN basically makes your device a counterfeit access device. Some debate that if they own 3 phones they should be able to let them all share one IMEI if only one is active at a time.
Personally, I can see no valid reason to change your IMEI - swapping sim cards is easy enough.
After I flashed hello bean I got th message about my imei, and when I checked it wasn't right, but I I can still make calls and my phone functions normally. I was just wondering why it is important to restore it and if you can point me to a thread that explains how to do it. (I have backups)
Thanks
master2828 said:
After I flashed hello bean I got th message about my imei, and when I checked it wasn't right, but I I can still make calls and my phone functions normally. I was just wondering why it is important to restore it and if you can point me to a thread that explains how to do it. (I have backups)
Thanks
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IMEI is your phone DNA. It's what makes it unique to another cellphone. This is the number that is assigned in your provider account. If you lose or get your phone stolen they block this IMEI so people can't use the phone anymore since its tagged. If you modify your IMEI and your provider sees the change they can believe your phone was stolen/tempered OR you could get a IMEI marked as stolen and your provider will cut you off. The IMEI is also used for tracking in emergency situation. If they look for 3514856147 and your phone report a IMEI like 998775258 there won't be a match. The E911 can locate you via your GPS location as its sent on every call but your provider won't be able to triangulate your location to report it to the authorities with the incorrect IMEI.
This is why you need to return with your real IMEI both for your safety and keep your phone working.
Hello, i'm in trouble with an S5 g900a. The typical "phone not allowed mm#6" appeared one day, after almost 1 year I'd purchased it. By the way, i bought it unlocked, in a store located in Paraguay.
I've read many posts about this message that appeared, i went to my service provider (Claro Argentina) to ask for imei blacklisted, but they said it is clean. But there is something more i've found now, the imei that appears when i dial *#06# (this is the one my provider checked) is the same that is written by the label of the box, BUT... when i try to see my phone's imei through different software such as SamMobile app or EFS Professional with Qualcomm NV Tools, the imei informed is a different one (that belongs to a g900f model) and, what is more, this imei results to be blacklisted since the same day my phone became out of service.
- Why is my phone giving this 2 different imeis?
- How can i recover the original one?
Hope you can understant my English and give me any help or information on how to solve this.
Thanks in advance,
Maxi.
Short version: who can fix IMEI on my (legally bought) phone?
Long story: I bought a new G870A phone around XMAS from an ebay-like store (I live in Poland). It seems to be an American phone (I get an ATT logo). It worked fine in Poland for two weeks I was using it (Polish SIM, T-mobile operator), but then I left for my work in South Korea, where I have a Korean SIM (SKT op.) it had connectivity issues: phone/SMS/wifi work, but mobile data doesn't work if the phone displays LTE 4G on the top. If it shows just 4G it works. I took it too SKT shops (three), all swear it's not an operator problem. Took it to the Samsung service center, they couldn't figure things out, sent it to the factory. I got a call from them (well, I don't speak Korean, so it's handled by my Korean gf). She said: "the number of INEI on the phone does not match the manufacturer’s serial number on the phone. Based on my understanding from his explanations, the manufactures finds for the serial number with INEI numbers, two numbers need to be the same. If another person is using a phone with the same INEI numbers with yours, your phone might not work properly. Your phone is not in the process for A/S since ur phone itself has the problem. So, they suggested you to contact the distributor what happens." I did some research on IMEI, and I am confused. I am reasonably sure that the place I bought in Poland is legit (I got the box, warranty card, proof of purchase; the business has official government registration, and 99% satisfaction ratio for its ~2,000 sales). The mobile data worked in Poland, which would suggest IMEI was fine - until the flight/SIM change? What could have messed it up? And if it is, who can fix it for me? Seems like the Samsung rep wants me to take the phone halfway through the world and complain to the Polish seller? Should I try to get if fixed in Korea? Whose fault is it? It also seems like it is possible to get the IMEI changed without root, could it be that someone "stole" my IMEI number? Could IMEI numbers work in one country but not the other? Should I try to change the IMEI myself - and if so, are there any good guides for that? I also read that changing IMEI is not legal in many countries, but presumably the vendor/service center can do it? But who is the party that should fix my phone? The original vendor? Are IMEI problems covered through warranty?