[Q] spoofed IMEI possible? - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I did a job for a Singaporean guy. As payment he gave me a Samsung i9300. The device was brand new, original packed, factory seal. The guy is dealing in mobile phones as far as I know and it was a good deal so I thought its alright.
The only problem we had was that the device showed device modified. We tried to look up the IMEI on imei.info and it says it is a Nokia 1600. Now after having a closer look at the packing I saw that there is a sticker over the sticker with the original IMEI. As it was still possible to figure out the old IMEI we looked it up on imei.info and it shows the right model & specs. The device is as well not reported stolen.
If I look up the both numbers on numberingplans there are no records for both numbers.
Everything looks alright. Even the sticker in the phone is showing the actual IMEI. Its not a fake phone too. The quality is to good. Its working too.
Anybody heard of something before?
How sure it is that the the info on imei.info is correct?
Could a imei get faked?
If the imei is fake, what to do with it? is it safe to use it? Virus ...? I am a totally newbie. Sorry.
Thanks for your advice. I am not really into this.

IMEI can get faked even though it is illegal to do so.
Fake IMEI may not connect to a network.
Fake IMEI can be due to a stolen blacklisted phone .
The phone is not a genuine product you should return it .

It is connecting to the network. This is not really the problem.
My problem is more that the guy is back in Singapore.

Ok, at the end of the day this means I should not use it and I definitely should not sell it too.
What a piece of junk

knuthein said:
Ok, at the end of the day this means I should not use it and I definitely should not sell it too.
What a piece of junk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Donate it to a poor person like me

Related

why noboby helps on changing IMEI?

I don't know why changing IMEI means the machine is stolen from someone.
I live in Hong Kong. The official product at the area is Dopod 838pro. It cost around HK$5700.
We can also buy Softbank X01HT here at only HK$3000(black) or $3400(white). At this price, the shop already help you unlock the machine and flasth the rom to the dopod rom.
The problem is...... when I get the machine, the IMEI of the label and the IMEI I get from *#06# are not the same while the "void" label is still there.
My friends get 2 more machine from shop, same problem happen, IMEI not match, label still perfect =.="
The shop claim that they have use a special way to flash the rom so all machine have the same IMEI =.="
That why I wanna change the IMEI.
takaki said:
I don't know why changing IMEI means the machine is stolen from someone.
I live in Hong Kong. The official product at the area is Dopod 838pro. It cost around HK$5700.
We can also buy Softbank X01HT here at only HK$3000(black) or $3400(white). At this price, the shop already help you unlock the machine and flasth the rom to the dopod rom.
The problem is...... when I get the machine, the IMEI of the label and the IMEI I get from *#06# are not the same while the "void" label is still there.
My friends get 2 more machine from shop, same problem happen, IMEI not match, label still perfect =.="
The shop claim that they have use a special way to flash the rom so all machine have the same IMEI =.="
That why I wanna change the IMEI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lets start by saying, changing your IMEI is illegal. And second; I dont know what your problem is, because what you are looking for, can be find by using "search" or just surf to google and search there.
just google it out, you will get it..
takaki said:
The shop claim that they have use a special way to flash the rom so all machine have the same IMEI =.="
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to find a new, honest shop that sells products that are not modified illegally. Maybe there is a reason their phones are available at such a good price....Hmmmmmm
You also have the option of searching this forum and answering your question using the knowledge and wisdom that has already been documented here.
takaki said:
I don't know why changing IMEI means the machine is stolen from someone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is like buying a car, from a shop, which the car's car-body serial number (eg. the number stamped on a plate on the car's body) is scratched off. Does it mean that the car is stolen? You tell me the answer.
ANYWAY, if HK law is to be still inline with UK's, you can report to police regarding the modified IMEI as it is definately illegal. Again, as above example, you can report the car you've just bought to the police if you've noticed that the serial number has been scratched off.
Flashing the ROM in whatever ways, does not modify the IMEI. AND, chances are, once you had your IMEI changed back to the originals stated in the label, your phone might not be usagable (e.g. if the phone has been reported lost, and the IMEI blocked).
Bram87 said:
Lets start by saying, changing your IMEI is illegal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of the reasons why changing the IMEI is illegal is that multiple devices on the same network with the same IMEI can cause major technical problems for the network operator. An IMEI is just like a MAC address in the IP world, it is used for location registers and other routing information. Definitely not a good idea to change this if you want to stay in your network operator's good books.
John
probably not to hard to swap mainboards and obtain new void stickers
in fact it is not a really problem to me
the machine woks fine. I can upgrade rom/ radio as I like......
If the IMEI matched, it will be perfect
but now it isn't, I still ok with that lol
takaki said:
in fact it is not a really problem to me
the machine woks fine. I can upgrade rom/ radio as I like......
If the IMEI matched, it will be perfect
but now it isn't, I still ok with that lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your unit is most likely a refurbished unit that has had a mainboard replacement. The internal IMEI is the one that matters. I would write it down since it doesn't match the externally printed one in case you have any issues and need the # for something. As long as the phone works on the network and you can make and receive calls there isn't any reason to worry.
Zzan said:
Your unit is most likely a refurbished unit that has had a mainboard replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have sold two such phones as trade-ins. These were the JAMin and JASJAM. Both had mainboard replacements due to mishaps during ROM flashing. And both got the replacements done under warranty
With my current phone, the concept of ROM cooking doesn't really exist so life has become safe, but a bit dull.
takaki said:
I don't know why changing IMEI means the machine is stolen from someone.
I live in Hong Kong. The official product at the area is Dopod 838pro. It cost around HK$5700.
We can also buy Softbank X01HT here at only HK$3000(black) or $3400(white). At this price, the shop already help you unlock the machine and flasth the rom to the dopod rom.
The problem is...... when I get the machine, the IMEI of the label and the IMEI I get from *#06# are not the same while the "void" label is still there.
My friends get 2 more machine from shop, same problem happen, IMEI not match, label still perfect =.="
The shop claim that they have use a special way to flash the rom so all machine have the same IMEI =.="
That why I wanna change the IMEI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm HK mobilephone sales.
haha....
the IMIE doesn't match with the IMEI label
but the void sticker still have.
becoz they can make the void sticker non- borken
and change your mother board from can't unlock one
to a second hand(someone will got some problems...) unlocked one.
and then re-stick the sticker on the phone
so...the *#06# number dosen't match with the IMEI label...
so...becareful when u buy the mobilephone...!!

Possible to change the IMEI number?

I ordered a Softbank Tytn for my buddy and i noticed the IMEI number on the box and on the device do not match. The seller was the one to unlock the phone, so my guess is once it was unlocked, the unlocker made a copy of an unlocked phone (of the firmware) on to the new softbank.
I've searched the forum only to find SIM Changing tools for other phones but ours. I know the IEMI number can be changed back, but does anyone have leads to how this can be done?
imasri29 said:
I ordered a Softbank Tytn for my buddy and i noticed the IMEI number on the box and on the device do not match. The seller was the one to unlock the phone, so my guess is once it was unlocked, the unlocker made a copy of an unlocked phone (of the firmware) on to the new softbank.
I've searched the forum only to find SIM Changing tools for other phones but ours. I know the IEMI number can be changed back, but does anyone have leads to how this can be done?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Changing an IMEI is possible, but illegal in many countries.
I'm trying to understand why you want to change it though. Are you having some kind of trouble with the device and/or service?
Look where your sim goes or the battery on your phone and the IMEI should be there, if it is different than the code actually on the phone or not (press '*#06#' and press go or send)
Worry about the phone not the box.
You need to be careful the IMEI number may be right on the phone and the box wrong. That is if your 'seller' opened 2 boxes and then unlocked them both and put them in the wrong box, the other person may have your box and their own IMEI (as is on your box). Or they just tossed the wrong box.
I have not heard of any unlocking that changes the IMEI only an IMEI hack.
Unless there is something else
imasri29 said:
I ordered a Softbank Tytn for my buddy and i noticed the IMEI number on the box and on the device do not match. The seller was the one to unlock the phone, so my guess is once it was unlocked, the unlocker made a copy of an unlocked phone (of the firmware) on to the new softbank.
I've searched the forum only to find SIM Changing tools for other phones but ours. I know the IMEI number can be changed back, but does anyone have leads to how this can be done?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ibrahim, I sold you this phone and I bought it from CellularArena a few weeks earlier. There is no problem with using that phone with the changed IMEI. It is too bad that CellularArena buys their unlocked X01HT with that method of unlocking but there is no problem to use that phone.
Possible to change the IMEI number? Your Pooched
So if someone with one of these unlocked phones (all with the same IMEI),
has their phone stolen or lost reports the IMEI so it cannot be used too easily. The IMEI get's blacklisted, the users are all pooched.
All of them..
Bummer !
A good lesson to anyone looking to have their IMEI changed.
Be afraid.... very afraid !!
I also heard that many X01HT sold in the grey market don't have matching IMEI.... Don't know why but it's perhaps really due to their method of unlocking.
Just wondering what sort of trouble it will stir up if the same IMEI is being used on the same network.
mrinternet said:
So if someone with one of these unlocked phones (all with the same IMEI),
has their phone stolen or lost reports the IMEI so it cannot be used too easily. The IMEI get's blacklisted, the users are all pooched.
All of them..
Bummer !
A good lesson to anyone looking to have their IMEI changed.
Be afraid.... very afraid !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah.. this is true but in Canada anyways, Rogers and Fido (now Rogers) do not blacklist IMEI. Blacklisting is risky business especially with blacklisting IMEI of devices that were not purchased through official channels. If it was so simple, a person could call in and blacklist random phones (albeit terribly random).
If the HongKong seller of these phones has done this same procedure with every X01HT they sold, there must be hundreds with the same IMEI, but have you seen anyone come here and say my new phone is blacklisted? No.
It's too bad that the unlock was done that way, but I don't think it will have any negative effect for any of these users, unless they go to a country where that IMEI has been blacklisted. It is also possible that the IMEI that *#06# returns is not actually the IMEI that is reported to the network either (as is the case with many sony ericsson phones where the IMEI is stored in 2 places on the device [OTP/GDFS]).
Would this not also impact the owner's ability to use BlackBerry Connect?
As part of the registration it asks for the PIN and IMEI. If someone has used the IMEI then that would preclude the second (or third, or fourth...) from using it with BBC.
Just a thought.
Victor
vabiro said:
Would this not also impact the owner's ability to use BlackBerry Connect?
As part of the registration it asks for the PIN and IMEI. If someone has used the IMEI then that would preclude the second (or third, or fourth...) from using it with BBC.
Just a thought.
Victor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But this doesnt happen with blackberries.
I've verified the IMEI off my friend's phone and compared it to the sticker at the back and the numbers do not match. So is there a way to change this number to the one on the box?
imasri29 said:
I've verified the IMEI off my friend's phone and compared it to the sticker at the back and the numbers do not match. So is there a way to change this number to the one on the box?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So does mine!
I just want to make the IEMI numbers same!
Sounds like you had purchased a stolen phone , if the number on the back of the phone doesnt match the number the phones software display's.
cannot see any reason including unlocking that the imei should change?
Karzi said:
cannot see any reason including unlocking that the imei should change?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I though they explained it very well. Whom ever unlocked these phones is lazy, they cloned one unlocked phone and then copied it to the rest IEMI and all.
Quick Question: Does the IMEI when you press *#06# match either the box or the sticker inside the battery compartment of the phone?
If *#06# IMEI matches the sticker on the phone then why care about the sticker on the box, they just were stupid putting phones back in the boxes.
On the other hand, if you the *#06# IMEI doesn't match the sticker in the battery compartment then you do have a phone with a changed IMEI. If you live or use the phone in a country where changing the IMEI is illegal (who doesn't anymore) then I'd not want to use it simply because if there ever is an issue you will be held responsible.
imasri29 said:
I ordered a Softbank Tytn for my buddy and i noticed the IMEI number on the box and on the device do not match. The seller was the one to unlock the phone, so my guess is once it was unlocked, the unlocker made a copy of an unlocked phone (of the firmware) on to the new softbank.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
deathspal said:
Actually I though they explained it very well. Whom ever unlocked these phones is lazy, they cloned one unlocked phone and then copied it to the rest IEMI and all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder how a ROM can be cloned without the IMEI ... ?
The 0182 loader which is now not yet unlockable . A fail safe method is to clone a image from a unlocked DOPOD rom (of course , it still brick your X01HT if you smashed the IC) .
That explains why most of the X01HT sold in HK with a unmatch IMEI . The box and the phone itself has the matched IMEI (I consider it as a new , original one) , however , the *#06# will not show the matched IMEI .
I would like to know it possible to modifiy the IMEI as well , however , I can still accept my phone with a unmatched IMEI .
mkmonkey said:
I wonder how a ROM can be cloned without the IMEI ... ?
The 0182 loader which is now not yet unlockable . A fail safe method is to clone a image from a unlocked DOPOD rom (of course , it still brick your X01HT if you smashed the IC) .
That explains why most of the X01HT sold in HK with a unmatch IMEI . The box and the phone itself has the matched IMEI (I consider it as a new , original one) , however , the *#06# will not show the matched IMEI .
I would like to know it possible to modifiy the IMEI as well , however , I can still accept my phone with a unmatched IMEI .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As of now, its not possible to change the IMEI. It's also, in MOST countries of the world, illegal to do so.
The ROM itself is not cloned. It is the Qualcomm baseband chip that is cloned (it contains the IMEI and radio). When it is duplicated the IMEI is also cloned. The phone is now unlocked (in nvm) and is ready to take any rom.
Karzi said:
Sounds like you had purchased a stolen phone , if the number on the back of the phone doesnt match the number the phones software display's.
cannot see any reason including unlocking that the imei should change?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The reason is because the phone was not, at the time, unlockable any other way (that they knew of). Imei changes as result of above post.
Kevbodian said:
As of now, its not possible to change the IMEI. It's also, in MOST countries of the world, illegal to do so.
The ROM itself is not cloned. It is the Qualcomm baseband chip that is cloned (it contains the IMEI and radio). When it is duplicated the IMEI is also cloned. The phone is now unlocked (in nvm) and is ready to take any rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for your update ... So , they are actually taking out the Qualcomm chip out from the PCB ?
If so , isn't that a good chance to reconnect the GPS connection ? (I remember that in the HERMES GPS project it mentioned that the GPS switch is grounded so the GPS is malfunction) Is it possible to connect the pin the enable it ? Or still lack of the related components ?
Thanks very much for your update !
mkmonkey said:
Thanks very much for your update ... So , they are actually taking out the Qualcomm chip out from the PCB ?
If so , isn't that a good chance to reconnect the GPS connection ? (I remember that in the HERMES GPS project it mentioned that the GPS switch is grounded so the GPS is malfunction) Is it possible to connect the pin the enable it ? Or still lack of the related components ?
Thanks very much for your update !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know... You should ask them.

Easy method to restore imei number.

Hello everyone,
My name is Samrina, my brother has broken my S3 it does not work any-more. He told network that he lost his phone, but he only lost his sim, and (PAY as you go) and they asked for imei number and he gave them the imei number for my S3. HE is so stupid so now my phone does not work, and he called them back and they will not take the imei off the block list, and also Samsung will not fix this because it is rooted and warranty is void. Now, the only other option is to send the phone to another country and they said it will work their and that they can also unlock it, they want £150 to unlock it by fixing the Imei number.
I don't know much about mobile phones but I already paid £500 when I bought the phone, now it is useless. Can anyone help? or is the only option to make sale in another country? stupid! they will not take off black list my imei number for a mistake. so unfair.
Samrina said:
Hello everyone,
My name is Samrina, my brother has broken my S3 it does not work any-more. He told network that he lost his phone, but he only lost his sim, and (PAY as you go) and they asked for imei number and he gave them the imei number for my S3. HE is so stupid so now my phone does not work, and he called them back and they will not take the imei off the block list, and also Samsung will not fix this because it is rooted and warranty is void. Now, the only other option is to send the phone to another country and they said it will work their and that they can also unlock it, they want £150 to unlock it by fixing the Imei number.
I don't know much about mobile phones but I already paid £500 when I bought the phone, now it is useless. Can anyone help? or is the only option to make sale in another country? stupid! they will not take off black list my imei number for a mistake. so unfair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
need to go to Samsung service centre with proof of purchase, id, etc and they may just do it, you can't change the imei as it is illegal
slaphead20 said:
need to go to Samsung service centre with proof of purchase, id, etc and they may just do it, you can't change the imei as it is illegal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have done this, they will not change it. They said they want written letter from mobile company that blocked it, but the mobile company are so lame, they said they can't do anything about it, and will not answer further correspondence. And that I need to contact GSM imei blocking some nonsense. It is not illegal to fix your own imei number, also I will fix it in another country where it will be legal.
Just tell me one, thing if it is possible or not to fix the imei number with current tools? or is this impossible?
Samrina said:
I have done this, they will not change it. They said they want written letter from mobile company that blocked it, but the mobile company are so lame, they said they can't do anything about it, and will not answer further correspondence. And that I need to contact GSM imei blocking some nonsense. It is not illegal to fix your own imei number, also I will fix it in another country where it will be legal.
Just tell me one, thing if it is possible or not to fix the imei number with current tools? or is this impossible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What number would you be changing your imei to? Once you change the imei to anything other than what is on your phone's sticker is illegal. Since your brother reported the phone missing it's better he goes and solves the issue. This isn't something you can do on the phone he needs to do it in person.
No one on xda will help anyone with changing their imei.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
kofiaa said:
What number would you be changing your imei to? Once you change the imei to anything other than what is on your phone's sticker is illegal. Since your brother reported the phone missing it's better he goes and solves the issue. This isn't something you can do on the phone he needs to do it in person.
No one on xda will help anyone with changing their imei.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you just tell me is this possible or not, I am not asking it be done for me how show me how to do it, all I am asking is, is it possible, because a mobile phone repair guy wants £150 to change it for me. He is from Pakistan, over there it is legal for them to change imei numbers. But I don't know if this person is trust-able.
Samrina said:
Can you just tell me is this possible or not, I am not asking it be done for me how show me how to do it, all I am asking is, is it possible, because a mobile phone repair guy wants £150 to change it for me. He is from Pakistan, over there it is legal for them to change imei numbers. But I don't know if this person is trust-able.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it's not legal anywhere what you can do is, go to consumer court and file in a complain and send a copy of it to both your service provider and samsung. It will be solved as soon as possible or if you are lucky you can get a renumeration too
Nikhil'Da Devil said:
No it's not legal anywhere what you can do is, go to customer court and file in a complain and send a copy of it to both your service provider and samsung. It will be solved as soon as possible or if you are lucky you can get a renumeration too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how to do this? last time I went to court, the squerity guard touched me inappropriately they are perverts.
Why does this thread just seem completely wrong in everyway, maybe I'm hearing alarm bells, or maybe I'm just wrong!!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Whatever the reason. What you are asking to do is illegal. The network has black listed the phone because it was lost/stolen.
Suck up and get your 'brother' to call the network and unblock it. But is suspect this story is rubbish
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
This thread might be of interest you.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1815368
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Samrina said:
Can you just tell me is this possible or not, I am not asking it be done for me how show me how to do it, all I am asking is, is it possible, because a mobile phone repair guy wants £150 to change it for me. He is from Pakistan, over there it is legal for them to change imei numbers. But I don't know if this person is trust-able.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would imagine it is possible to change an IMEI but if someone over here finds out you have had it changed it looks to anyone like you have stolen the phone, the police will check the sticker IMEI and see that phone has been reported lost, they will then check the IMEI the software is reporting and see that it is different.
Open and closed case you have a phone reported lost or stolen, with a falsified IMEI you look guilty and you will get arrested and have to prove it is your phone (contract doesn't count because that is tied to the sim)
Discussion of illegal IMEI cloning is banned on XDA OP please close this post .
jje
"Assuming" the story is legit its your brothers fcukup so give him your old phone and make him buy you a replacement. If he refuses kick his ass!!!! If you decide to let him off out of brotherly love put it down to experience.
Lol. Op is such a liar. Burn in hell you thieving prick.
Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk 2
Fact it is illegal to change imei numbers on your phone. It has to be the one on the sticker, if your story is true then all you have to do is go to the police station along with your proof of recipt and tell them you found your phone. They will make a call and unblock your phone in a matter of minutes.
I remember my sister left her handbag in nandos once here in the uk she had a Samsung d900i at the time. Me and my sister just the left the store and she remembered she left her handbag and went in to get it it was gone. cleaning lady said she didn't see it. So we went and reported it o the police. She had her contract phone credit cards bank cards cash. and sentimental stuff in it.
Anyway we reported the imei number to them and they blocked the imei on the phone. Next day we get a call that the cleaner lady had my sisters bag we went to pick up her bag and all was good the lady got the sack. We came home and the phone was blocked so i rang the company they couldn't do **** for me. So we took the recipt and the phone to the police station including the box and said a couple of days ago my sisters phone was stolen we got it back here is my proof. They made a call and instantly it was unblocked. That was 6 years ago. Maybe it is still the same.
If your story is legit this should work.
Samrina said:
Can you just tell me is this possible or not, I am not asking it be done for me how show me how to do it, all I am asking is, is it possible, because a mobile phone repair guy wants £150 to change it for me. He is from Pakistan, over there it is legal for them to change imei numbers. But I don't know if this person is trust-able.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO, it isn't legal!!!!!!!!!!! What is wrong with you?
And that 'guard touching me inappropriately' sounds like a load of bollocks. I'm sorry but you're definitely lying. No one will help you.
Thread closed

[Q] Motherboard replacement - will IMEI be lost?

Hi
I have an S2 which is hard bricked, it is not stolen or barred.
I have bought a replacement motherboard and a shop will fit it for me as I lack the technical skill.
My question is will my IMEI be lost?
If so how do I recover it, assuming the phone is then working?
Many thanks in advance
Mark
Generally speaking, if it's a new MB by a Samsung service centre you'll get the same IMEI (but not in all countries). If you/someone else puts a 2nd hand board in, yes, the IMEI will change. Either way it makes no difference to you as a user, your phone will still have a unique IMEI & work as it should with either scenario.
You messing around with the IMEI in order to try to 'recover' your old one should it change will lead to a busted phone (again). Don't attempt this because it just isn't necessary.
MistahBungle said:
Generally speaking, if it's a new MB by a Samsung service centre you'll get the same IMEI (but not in all countries). If you/someone else puts a 2nd hand board in, yes, the IMEI will change. Either way it makes no difference to you as a user, your phone will still have a unique IMEI & work as it should with either scenario.
You messing around with the IMEI in order to try to 'recover' your old one should it change will lead to a busted phone (again). Don't attempt this because it just isn't necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks for the reply, great information.
I will leave it as it is.
Thanks

[Q] Write new IMEI into phone?

Dear xda-community,
some months ago I dared myself to root my Samsung SHW-M250S (Korean Version of Galaxy S2) and lost my IMEI on that phone. I couldn't find it and forgot to make a backup of my efs partition because of stupidity and not really reading the manuals properly (I used to have a HTC Desire S which didn't have the efs partition so it's a bad habit thing). Today I found out that I luckily registered my phone with the original IMEI in my google Settings and the developer IMEI on my current Galaxy S2.
My question is: Is there any possibility to insert my old IMEI into my rooted Galaxy S2?
IMEI is device specific.....by law.
Sorry mate, but nobody here is going to help you break the law......
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Take it to a local mobile repair shop, some have the same equipment as Samsung service centres that can write the IMEI back to the device. Normally isn't very expensive (much cheaper than replacing a motherboard for example).
You could buy this equipment yourself, but it would cost twice as much (or more) as paying someone who knows what they're doing to fix it properly, you'd probably never use it again, and if you mess it up, your phone is probably a bin job.
keithross39 said:
IMEI is device specific.....by law.
Sorry mate, but nobody here is going to help you break the law......
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
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Well... Since I didn't backup my EFS and got the develeoper one, does it mean I am owning an illegal phone?
MistahBungle said:
Take it to a local mobile repair shop, some have the same equipment as Samsung service centres that can write the IMEI back to the device. Normally isn't very expensive (much cheaper than replacing a motherboard for example).
You could buy this equipment yourself, but it would cost twice as much (or more) as paying someone who knows what they're doing to fix it properly, you'd probably never use it again, and if you mess it up, your phone is probably a bin job.
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Gonna try that in the next weeks, see if it works
No, the device having the generic IMEI is not illegal, it's just in many countries these phones are essentially useless & have no connectivity (they will work in some countries with providers who use outdated telco equipment, though).
Most good phone repairs shops should be able to fix this for you, if not, service centre definitely will.
Edit to add - However, writing a different IMEI into a device is very much illegal in most countries (the EU in particular) and will result in both your device & the device the IMEI came from being blacklisted (rendered permanently useless). The only way you can legitimately get a different IMEI & use the phone OK is if you swap the motherboard with a 2nd hand board from a 'donor' device. When Samsung service centres replace motherboards to fix a whole host of things, in most countries they write the existing IMEI to the new board.
MistahBungle said:
No, the device having the generic IMEI is not illegal, it's just in many countries these phones are essentially useless & have no connectivity (they will work in some countries with providers who use outdated telco equipment, though).
Most good phone repairs shops should be able to fix this for you, if not, service centre definitely will.
Edit to add - However, writing a different IMEI into a device is very much illegal in most countries (the EU in particular) and will result in both your device & the device the IMEI came from being blacklisted (rendered permanently useless). The only way you can legitimately get a different IMEI & use the phone OK is if you swap the motherboard with a 2nd hand board from a 'donor' device. When Samsung service centres replace motherboards to fix a whole host of things, in most countries they write the existing IMEI to the new board.
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But what if I can prove that the IMEI I wanted to recover is stored e.g. in my google account? Is it still illegal then?
You didn't comprehend what I said to you.
The original IMEI can definitely be written back to the phone by a Samsung service centre & likely many mobile repair shops; this is OK.
You cannot write a different IMEI to a device, this is illegal.
The end.
MistahBungle said:
You didn't comprehend what I said to you.
The original IMEI can definitely be written back to the phone by a Samsung service centre & likely many mobile repair shops; this is OK.
You cannot write a different IMEI to a device, this is illegal.
The end.
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Ok, that's what I wanted to know. Gonna search for a repair center in around me then... Thanks!
this is straight from a pageplus chat
nothing special just standard procedure for activating an "unknown device" that...well read below.
4G LTE devices (with MEIDs starting with 256 or 99000) are not compatible with our system.
They are able to be activated by dropping the last digit of the IMEI (99000)
they are not able to be programmed with OTA (*22890 or *228) and unable to be manually programmed.
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i might have chopped it i cant remember but i always keep the good parts
so are you saying a verizon network is breaking the law because it is their policy that dictates pageplus and straight talk in this procedure heck even verizon prepaid
dropping the last digit like they are telling me to do is what?
i dont think its illegal like you say.
no way they would tell 1000's of people to do it
i just tried to ota *22890 my note 3 after they gave me those directions along with my mdn/min/sid and "normally" i get voice/text/mms and data at this point
i just tried without successsfully changing mine and it wont OTA
the step in the directions above is REQUIRED i believe
Changing imei talk is not done on xda. :thumbdown: We all know what can be done with this but we can't talk about it here. Illegal or not info is out there, software is out there. but like I said on xda we don't talk about changing imei or modding it.
andrewwright said:
Changing imei talk is not done on xda. :thumbdown: We all know what can be done with this but we can't talk about it here. Illegal or not info is out there, software is out there. but like I said on xda we don't talk about changing imei or modding it.
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agreed
BTW at op. Don't go to a service Centre mate. If I go to a local shop they would only charge me £20 in the UK. Have a look as its much cheaper than ss.

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