The government has introduced the CEIR portal, allowing users to report and track lost or stolen mobile devices. Mobile phones are widely appreciated for their handy size and easy-to-carry nature, but this also makes them vulnerable to possible theft.

Since the market has flooded with expensive mobiles and the resell value has been highly spiked up, the cases of lost and stolen mobiles have drastically increased.

To counter this highly concerning issue, the Government and state authorities have come up with many measures including increased police patrol, awareness campaigns, and tracking technology to locate the stolen or lost mobile phone.

CEIR portal
Source: www.ceir.gov.in

The government of India also has a dedicated web portal for stolen and lost mobile phones, the CEIR (Central Equipment Identity Register) portal, which comes under  India's Department of Telecommunications. It is a centralised system that helps in recovering stolen or lost mobile phones using the device's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers. 

The CEIR is a database of mobile equipment identifiers, where the SIM slot of a mobile device is assigned with a dedicated identifier. CEIR is formed to counter mobile phone thefts and misuse, It allows network providers to share blacklisted devices which helps in avoiding the blacklisted mobile phone to work on other devices even after replacing the SIM card.

CEIR portal
Source: www.cyberyodha.org

Before initiating the process the user will have to register a FIR of the lost or stolen phone, and for the further process, the physical/digital copy of the complaint will be required. Then the user will need to find the phone's IMEI number which is generally printed on the retail box.

Following are the steps to follow in CEIR portal

  • Visit the CEIR portal
  • Click on the red tab, "Block Stolen/Lost Mobile.".
  • A form will appear. Fill in the details, like:
  • The mobile number associated with the lost or stolen SIM card
  • IMEI number of the phone
  • Details from your police complaint (FIR)
  • Your details (name, address, etc.)
  • Complete the CAPTCHA verification and click "Get OTP.".
  • An OTP (one-time password) will be sent to your mobile number (provided you still have access to another phone with that number). Enter the OTP to verify.
  • The CEIR system will process your request. Upon successful registration, you'll receive a confirmation message with a reference ID for future reference.

Some points to keep in mind 

  • Blocking the phone through CEIR renders it unusable on any network in India.
  • The CEIR portal doesn't help locate your lost phone.
  • If you find your phone later, you can request to unblock it through the CEIR portal using the same reference ID.

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