Stealing smartphones has become big business in recent years with one study from Consumer Reports suggesting that in 2013 about 3.1 million Americans found themselves on the losing end of this trend. This was close to double what the organization previously estimated had been stolen the year prior.But the advancement of technology is such that it’s possible for your phone to be stolen from you even if it remains in your possession, like a credit card. And a common way that this scenario can play itself out if is your IMEI number has been hacked.Every smartphone or cell phone has a unique IMEI, or International Mobile Equipment Identity, serial number that serves as its identifying characteristic. The IMEI can be employed to determine model number, nation of origin, and even whether the phone has been reported as lost or stolen. Indeed, mobile networks use IMEI numbers to verify valid devices so that they can prohibit network access to phones reported as lost or stolen by their respective owners.In order to determine if your IMEI number has been hacked, you'll need to know how to check IMEI number. Read on for a look at what it means if your IMEI has been hacked, why people do it in the first place, and what you can do if you find out that it has happened to you.
If have iPhone 7 Plus, 7, 6S, 6, 5S, 5C, 5, 4S, 4 or iPad any model and like to change the IMEI number this si official method how to make that on easy way.
Hacked IMEI Number?
Unfortunately, it is possible for someone to hack your IMEI. There are various problems you'll face if this scenario plays out. For instance, if someone has the IMEI for your smartphone or cell phone, he or she can clone your mobile device.The problem? Should your phone and the cloned phone both be on at the same time -- while both attempt to access the same network -- your wireless service provider could automatically disable both your device and the cloned device. As well, apps such as WhatsApp use your IMEI as an identifier, so someone could potentially gain easy access to your WhatsApp account if he or she has your IMEI number. So, if you’re buying a used or refurbished phone, it’s best to check the IMEI number with your wireless services provider and possibly with one of the online databases that allow for such a check. You can also see your IMEI, a 15-digit serial number, by typing *#06# on your keypad. Your IMEI number will immediately be displayed on the screen of your smartphone or cellphone.
Why Do People Hack IMEI Numbers?
The short answer is...money. Unfortunately, crime does pay for those who are okay with pocketing ill-gotten gains. Consider the following real-life scenario where a crime ring stole smartphones. What they would do is steal the devices, change the IMEIs, and then sell them to customers. In this particular instance, the thieves disabled the pattern lock and gained access to the data in the smartphones. They would then eliminate all the data using an app. Then the smartphones would be connected to a device that electronically changed the IMEI numbers.When you consider that Statista says that there were 2.1 billion smartphone users around the world in 2016 and that the number could expand to 2.87 billion by 2020, you can appreciate the ongoing popularity of these devices and also perhaps come to terms with the fact that this insatiable demand is likely to continue to interest thieves looking to cash in on the trend.
What to Do if it Happens to You
If your phone has been hacked or cloned, one of the ways you can find out if something's wrong is to ask your wireless services provide for your phone and data transfer records. That way, you can scan the lists to see if there are any discrepancies that need to be investigated further. You should also ask your wireless services provider to block your IMEI so that any clones of your smartphone or cellphone are blocked.You can also reach out to an independent third-party to run a diagnostic test designed to find out if your phone has been hacked or cloned. You definitely need to let your wireless services provider know if you suspect that your IMEI has been hacked or cloned so that an investigation can be launched.Having your IMEI number hacked is a serious matter since you could face a service interruption with your own smartphone or cell phone, and it’s also possible that thieves could access your personal information to commit ID fraud. But why knowing how to check IMEI number, you’ll hopefully be able to rectify the problem should you ever become a victim.
International Mobile Equipment Identity, IMEI Number in short, as you might be knowing is an identity for your mobile device and is utilised for the recognition of your smartphone over the cellular networks. This recognition is set as default by the manufacturer of the smartphone itself. IMEI Number of a smartphone cannot be altered or modified. However, we can fiddle with it on a temporary basis. In this guide, we are going to share with you the process to change IMEI Number of iPhone. Please note that this method is working perfectly for iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, 8, 8 Plus, 7, SE, 6, 6S, 6 Plus, 6S Plus and even on iPhone 5/5S.
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Usually, you can see the IMEI Number of your device by dialing *#06#. IMEI Number can also be utilised to stop a stolen device from accessing the network. If your phone gets stolen and you are in the possession of the IMEI Number then you can, actually, call your network provider to blacklist your device. Apart from the iPhone models mentioned in the beginning, this method may work on other lower iPhone models as well. You can test out the same. However, before we begin it is important that you know about certain prerequisites.
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1 Modify the IMEI Number of iPhone | Prerequisites
Modify the IMEI Number of iPhone | Prerequisites
Following are the prerequisites for the provided method of modifying the IMEI Number of your iPhone to work.
Your iPhone must be jailbroken. If your device is not jailbroken and is running on iOS 11 then you can check out the linked guide to jailbreak your iPhone using Electra.
Please make sure that you backup everything essential on your device.
You will be requiring Ziphone PC Tool. You need to download and transfer the same on your PC.
iPhone USB Cable.
As you might have guessed already, you require taking the help of your PC in this method. Also, please note that once you alter the IMEI Number of your iPhone; you will lose your device’s warranty. Moreover, if you are using this guide to change the IMEI Number of a stolen iPhone; we are not responsible for the same. What you are doing is illegal and it is better for you to hand over the device to your nearest police station.
Check Out, [How-To] Download Paid Apps for Free on iOS [iPhone/iPad] No Jailbreak.
Steps to Change IMEI Number of iPhone Without Jailbreak
As a first, please dial *#06# to check out your iPhone’s IMEI Number for confirmation purposes.
You must have downloaded the Ziphone PC Tool. Please extract the same on your PC.
Now, switch off your iPhone and you require booting the same into recovery mode. For that press the Sleep/Wake and Power Button simultaneously and hold on to the same until the Apple Logo comes up.
Once you see the Apple Logo, please release the Sleep/Wake button and post a few moments iTunes logo with a cable will appear on your iPhone’s screen.
It is time to connect the iPhone with PC via the USB Cable.
On your PC, launch the folder where you have extracted the contents in the second step. Press Shift + Right Click and from the pop-up menu that comes up tap on the option ‘Start Command Prompt Here.’
Once the command window comes up type ZIPHONE and hit ‘Enter.’
Now type ziphone -u -i a123456789012345. Please note that you require replacing 123456789012345 with the IMEI Number that you wish for.
That’s it! You have successfully changed the IMEI Number of your device. Your iPhone will reboot now. Once the home screen comes up you can verify the IMEI Number by dialing *#06#.
Change the IMEI Number of iPhone Using Ziphone Tool
So, these were the steps to successfully change the IMEI Number of the iPhone. If you face any kind of issue during the process, please let us know about the same in the comments section provided below.
Also, go through the following posts as well:
Parallel Space Multi Accounts App on iOS(iPhone/iPad) Without Jailbreak.