Phone stolen? Block SIM, file police report and block IMEI on CEIR portal at once

The smartphone has become our most essential gadget. Photos, banking apps, social media accounts and a great deal of other information are saved on it, along with other important documents. If the phone is stolen, it can cause serious trouble.

Many people do not know what to do after a phone is stolen. If the right steps are not taken immediately, the loss can be big. The phone's data can be misused and the bank account can be emptied. Three important things should therefore be done without delay.

The first is to get the SIM card blocked at once. Bank accounts, UPI apps and social media platforms are now linked to your number. If the SIM is not blocked, whoever has the phone can get OTPs and empty your bank account.

People can also be defrauded through calls or messages made in your name and from your number. Right after the theft, call the customer care of your service provider, whether Airtel, Jio, Vodafone-Idea or BSNL, explain the matter and ask for the SIM card to be blocked.

The second most important step is to file a police report, after blocking the SIM. Complain to the police whether the phone was stolen or lost. You can also file the complaint on an online portal. This report is very important for the cyber cell and for police records. The government process needed to permanently block or track the phone is completed only after this.

Several states offer the facility of filing an e-FIR online, which lets you complain to the police from home. The report serves as legal evidence and can be used later when making a request on the CEIR portal. It also protects you in the event of any untoward incident.

The third step is to block the IMEI number on the CEIR portal. You can block the stolen phone's IMEI number through the Department of Telecommunications' Sanchar Saathi portal and the CEIR platform. Go to the CEIR official website, where you will have to upload the stolen phone's IMEI number, mobile number and either the purchase bill or a copy of the police complaint. You will then have to submit the request to block the phone.

Once the request is submitted, the government and all telecom companies will blacklist the phone's IMEI number across the country. The biggest benefit is that the phone will be completely useless whatever new SIM card the thief inserts. It will be reduced to a paperweight and will not work on any network.