Database Develop

bought my diamond second hand off some guy 2 months ago..

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?
Click to expand...
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.

[Q] Why Do I Have 2 Different IMEI Numbers?

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?
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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)
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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.

root a unclaimed phone

I work at a bar people leave lose misplace phones regularly, I have a galaxy s been sitting there for months, can you root a phone and port a new number to it if it has been locked by the carrier putting aside the stolen or not crap, cause its besides the point, cause I throw away phones on a regular basis and im just looking for an answer not a lecture as I received a fee already in other forums

IMEI locked phones are not unlockable by a finder. The purpose is to prevent theft etc, and would be pretty pointless if a thief could get around the lock with some technical know-how.
I believe it's blocked by the network across all carriers - The true owner can contact their ISP to unlock it when they recover it, so don't throw them away. I'm sure there's some space at your bar to keep a few phones for a month or so.

Normally when I unlock a phone by IMEI from an internet site I use they ask for the IMEI number,carrier,make,model and an e-mail address to send the info to.So if you know the carrier I dont think it would be that hard to do.Ive unlocked phones for my mates using the site I go to and all they do is give me the phone and tell me what carrier it belongs to.I use my e-mail address and all works fine.All you need is the phone,carrier and IMEI number.Its not that hard otherwise you wouldnt be able to unlock a phone that you bought from some else would you.

The OP asked for carrier Blocked situation, not carrier Locked.
Sent from my GT-I9000

it's completely possible, as you can spoof a new IMEI, and I believe ICSSGS is doing that by default. Simply open up ODIN and throw the rom onto it.

IMEI locked by the operator

Hi,
sorry if the question was already placed but honestly I wasn't able to find a unique answer.
I'll try to be direct:
- phone HTC M7 Vodafone branded
- the phone is working correctly but it has the IMEI blocked by the operator (Vodafone) due to the fact the owner didn't execute all the payments related to the contract. So Vodafone blocked the IMEI. I'm very sure about this as I'm sure it isn't a stolen phone.
Ther result is (as you know) the phone can't work as a phone (no call, sms, data via mobile)
That said, is there a way to unlock the phone in order to work again (as a phone indeed)?
Please don't close the topic immediately, at lest an answer, many thanks

sverza said:
- the phone is working correctly but it has the IMEI blocked by the operator (Vodafone) due to the fact the owner didn't execute all the payments related to the contract. So Vodafone blocked the IMEI. I'm very sure about this as I'm sure it isn't a stolen phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the first owner didn't made all the payments then it's a stolen phone. Doesn't matters if it was stolen from someone of from a company, it still stolen.
That said, is there a way to unlock the phone in order to work again (as a phone indeed)?
Please don't close the topic immediately, at lest an answer, many thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can be illegal in some countries to mess with the IMEI. Iirc, if you manage to change the IMEI there are other mechanisms preventing your radio to be turned on with a modified IMEI on this phone.
Looks like this topic is not welcome on xda (and for good reasons):
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=40239081&postcount=21
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=63823557&postcount=13
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=54170058&postcount=2
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2713592
If someone sold you this phone without mentioning it was blacklisted then it's a fraud and should take the required actions to report that fraud.

Thanks Sir

How to change your imei number?

I was reading this
<Mod edit: Link removed>
It says you can possibly change your imei number. Say you have an old phone, and want to use a new one, but the new one is the asus rog2. Now if we change the asus imei to lets say a samsung att imei that you have, then att will see your device as a samsung , but in fact you will be using the new asus phone. This would work to get voLTE or wi fi calling , just like they do in asia.
Is this possible? They make it seem simple, and not sure if this would work.

I tried to change the IMEI on a samsung a few years back but was not successful.
But I am not sure if it has to do with the IMEI or the network recognizing the phone...
I had a sony phone that tmobile told me was an unknown device but it had wifi calling and VoLTE working on it.
But its DEFINITELY WORTH A SHOT! and I don't think its illegal if you let them know what you're doing and not defrauding anyone and own both devices! not sure though

To change IMEI number is pure OUTLAW.
Suppose a dude steal a phone from a man. The man calls his operator, and asks for the IMEI block, so the thief can't use the phone to make/receive calls, send/receive sms', use its band to surf the web, because a blocked IMEI cannot access to the mobile network.
If the thief can change it's IMEI, the thief can use the stolen phone just like he bought it, or to sell it by his own. Gottcha?

Yeah but im not concerned with the negative use of something that is everyones right to have. If you own a phone and want to transfer your imei to your new phone because phone companies force you to because volte or wi fi calling restrictions , and its not illegal, why not. My aunt always says , in a work environment they like to play games with you, you have to learn to play games back...best advise i ever got, and it holds up well here.
Anyways whats wrong with being an outlaw , Robin Hood was pretty cool hahaha.

Ravippe said:
I was reading this
<Mod edit: Link removed>
It says you can possibly change your imei number. Say you have an old phone, and want to use a new one, but the new one is the asus rog2. Now if we change the asus imei to lets say a samsung att imei that you have, then att will see your device as a samsung , but in fact you will be using the new asus phone. This would work to get voLTE or wi fi calling , just like they do in asia.
Is this possible? They make it seem simple, and not sure if this would work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THREAD CLOSED and slightly cleaned.
XDA does not allow any discussions or providing of tools regarding the change or the edit of IMEI's, only about restoring of original IMEI/EFS!