With the purpose of combating the theft and illegal trade of cell phones, the Supervisory Body for Private Investment in Telecommunications (Osiptel) announced that this Tuesday, April 2, the blocking of more than 209,764 cloned or duplicate IMEI codes will begin, which will be are associated with 486,656 mobile lines.
Let us remember that this is the fifth time that said procedure established by the regulatory body to protect consumers and reduce the illegal market for these devices has been carried out. Next, check if your device will be affected by this measure through the Osiptel digital tool.
Osiptel: how do I know if my line will be blocked this April 2?
According to Tatiana Piccini Antón, director of User Care and Protection at Osiptel, the operating companies sent text messages or SMS to the mobile lines of the devices with cloned IMEIs before the fifth blockade that will take place this Tuesday, April 2, with the objective of users adopting preventive measures.
“If the user receives the SMS informing them that their IMEI has been detected as cloned and considers that they acquired their equipment legally, they must approach their operating company to file a blocking question”held.
Likewise, the Osiptel official recommended to users whose equipment is blocked not to go to third parties seeking to modify the IMEI code, since this constitutes a crime with prison sentences of between 4 and 6 years.
How to verify if the equipment you are purchasing is stolen?
Before purchasing a second-use cell phone, it is important to verify if the physical IMEI, which appears on the back of the device, matches the code shown on the screen when entering *#06#. If they do not match, the cell phone has a cloned or invalid IMEI.
Given this, Osiptel offers the online tool “Check your IMEI” to carry out this verification and avoid falling into the purchase of an illegal device.
What does it mean to have a cloned IMEI?
An IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique identifier that each mobile phone has. Cloning is considered when the device has been illegally replicated and there is an alteration of the original IMEI of the cell phone, which is punishable by law.
As is public knowledge, the blockade on April 2 will be the fifth ordered by Osiptel within the framework of actions to fight against illegal cell phone trade. The first occurred on November 15, 2023 and. To date, operating companies have blocked more than 140,000 cloned or duplicate IMEIs, which are associated with 316,445 mobile lines.
What is Osiptel and what are its functions?
Osiptel is the body responsible in Peru for the regulation and supervision of the telecommunications services market, guaranteeing autonomy with respect to the companies that provide these services. If you have questions about these procedures or any other issue related to public telecommunications services, it is recommended to contact Osiptel’s FonoAyuda, dialing 1844, or sending an email to users@osiptel.gob.pe.
Source: Larepublica
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