Report a Stolen Phone: Block the Handset, Not Just the SIM

The single most common mistake after a phone theft is barring the SIM and stopping there. A new card costs a few units of currency; a blocked IMEI is what makes the handset worthless.

Every country handles this differently — a different authority places the block, a different registry carries it, and the police step has a different name and a different purpose. What does not change is the order: secure your accounts, find the IMEI, get the handset blocked, then file the report that your insurer and your bank will ask for.

Pick your country below for the specific route. If yours is not listed, the pattern still holds: your network operator places the block, the national telecoms regulator is the escalation route, and the police report exists for everyone other than the network.

Before you report: find the IMEI

Blocking is done against the 15-digit IMEI, and you cannot dial *#06# on a phone that is gone. Three places still have it: the barcode on the original box, your account page with the operator or shop that sold you the handset, and the device list in your Google or Apple account. If you are reading this before anything has happened, photograph your box barcode now — it is the single most useful thirty seconds of phone admin there is.