Lost your mobile phone? Track it via the new government portal

New Delhi: Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched web portal for reporting of stolen mobiles.

The government website www.ceir.gov.in has been launched as a pilot project in Maharashtra in collaboration with state-run BSNL.

A project called Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system has been undertaken by the DoT for addressing security, theft and other concerns including reprogramming of mobile handsets.

The major objectives of the project include  blocking of lost/stolen mobile phones across mobile networks thus discouraging theft of mobile phones, facilitate in tracing of such reported lost/stolen mobile phones, prevention of mobile devices with duplicate and fake IMEIs in the network, curtail the use of counterfeit mobile devices.

International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique identity of a mobile phone device.

Generally, a phone with one/two slots of SIM card is programmed with one/two IMEI number as the case may be. IMEI number being programmable, some miscreants do reprogram the IMEI number, which results in cloning of IMEI causing multiple phone devices with same IMEI number. As on date, there are many cases of cloned/duplicated IMEI handsets in the network.

What to do if you have lost your phone

If you have lost your phone or it is being stolen , you will have to lodge an FIR and subsequently inform DoT. You can do so via helpline number 14422.

DoT will block the phone after getting your repor of lost/stolen phone.

If any miscreant tries to use your device, your telecom service provider will identify him/her.  Mobile service providers BSNL, Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone, Idea have been taken onboard to help DoT for the purpose.