If you want to check if a mobile device was reported as stolen, lost or recovered, you can use this OSIPTEL tool
Cell phone theft is one of the most common crimes in Peru .
Thieves are constantly on the lookout to steal our must-have tech gear and then sell it to other people illegally.
Luckily, there are measures that we can use to obstruct the path of these criminals and, although recovering our mobiles is not feasible in most cases, we can block them or register them as stolen with our operators so that they obstruct the activities of these criminals.
Last March 2022, the Supervisory Body for Private Investment in Telecommunications ( OSIPTEL ) indicated that a daily average of 4,529 reports of mobile device theft are recorded in our country.
Using the databases of teleoperating companies in Peru , it was determined that 189 devices are stolen per hour and that every 20 seconds a cell phone is stolen from its owner.
If our cell phone was stolen or if we lose it, we must immediately notify our operating company to report the fact and to block the mobile and our line so that they cannot be used by other people. In addition, OSIPTEL provides a useful tool for users to confirm that their equipment has indeed been blocked by the relevant company. All this is possible thanks to the IMEI code .
What is an IMEI code and how does it work?
In essence, an IMEI is a unique fifteen-digit code that is pre-recorded in the mobile operating system since its manufacture. Thanks to this sequence of numbers, a mobile device can be identified throughout the world and thus differentiates itself from other equipment. There are two types of this code -physical and logical- so both must match for the operation of the mobile to be considered legitimate.
The logical IMEI , as we explained before, is pre-recorded on the device by the manufacturer and is stored in the device’s operating system. To consult it, the user must dial *#06# in their calling app or enter the device settings.
On the other hand, the physical IMEI is inscribed in some visible part of the cell phone, such as the tray where the SIM is placed, in the back, and others. In addition, it is also found in the packaging or box of the mobile or in the documents that are provided when it is purchased.
How do I check if a cell phone was reported stolen or lost?
OSIPTEL provides us with a useful tool called “IMEI Query” on its official website. To use it, we just have to enter the following link to check stolen, lost or recovered cell phones.
Once we are there, we just have to write the IMEI of the device we want to check and click “accept”. The system will search your registry for that code to provide you with a result.
This is something extremely important since buying stolen cell phones is a crime known as receiving , which has penalties ranging from two to four years in prison, as indicated by the Emergency Division (Diveme) of the National Police of Peru .
Also, remember that behind a stolen cell phone , there is a criminal who harmed and may even have seriously injured or killed its rightful owner. If people didn’t buy these stolen devices, the wave of violent thefts that plagues our country every day would be less.
