What happens if someone gets your iPhone IMEI number?
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.
From the seller's side, giving out an IMEI number is a huge risk. Some sellers have lost their phones' usability to hackers after giving the IMEI out to criminals masquerading as potential bidders. The safest bet is to only give the IMEI number to someone who has already paid for the phone.
The IMEI is bound to the device, not your phone number or account. It could be used to track stolen phones, and to lock them out from networks (done in a few countries, but not across borders or carriers normally, they could not agree on a global DB).
The IMEI number matters as it can give information about the kind of device (Android or iOS), the model number, the network, country from where it came, warranty information, date of purchase and other details about the phone.
A mobile phone can be tracked using an IMEI number to know the phone's exact location. IMEI tracking can be achieved through the mobile operator, law enforcement agencies (e.g. the police) or third-party apps. The IMEI information is kept in EIR, a database managed by the mobile operator.
Is it safe to give someone your IMEI number when buying or selling something online? It is the globally unique identifier for your phone. In general, it's not a good idea to give it out. It's not going to get your phone hacked, but people could potentially report it stolen and get it blocked by networks.
Alternatively, ask them to dial *#06# and retrieve the unique IMEI number that way. The iPhone will then display the IMEI number, which you can check against the proof of purchase the seller gave you. You should also use IMEI.info to check the mobile device network, country, warranty, system version, and other specs.
Fraud: The IMEI number can be used to clone a mobile phone, which could be used to make fraudulent phone calls or text messages. Blacklisting: The IMEI number can be used to blacklist a mobile phone, which would prevent it from being able to connect to any mobile networks. This is often done to prevent stolen phones.
If the device was stolen, immediately report the theft to the police, including the make and model, serial and IMEI or MEID or ESN number. Some service providers require proof that the device was stolen, and a police report would provide that documentation.
The most obvious entity that can track you with your IMEI number is your mobile operator, who manages the EIR database. In addition to the mobile operator, law enforcement agencies, e.g. police, have access to the IMEI number to be able to track stolen phones and potentially individuals carrying those phones.