India Broadband Forum

ShAdOwCoN

When you buy a mobile phone , always check the authenticity of that particular device . This can be easily done .

Most fake makes of original models of other companies such as Nokia and Sony Erickson are cheap Chinese makes . So its is possible to detect most of these makes using just the IMEI number .

Method :

1. Punch in *#06# in your phone . It will display its IMEI number . The IMEI will be a 15 digit number .


Lets take an Example

490154203237518


2. Separate the last digit i.e the 15th digit from the rest of the numbers

3. Now add up all the numbers that are present in the odd position i.e add up numbers in the first , third , fifth ....... positions

4+0+5+2+3+3+5 = 22

4. Now multiply the numbers in the even position by 2 and then add them together (numbers in the 2nd 4th 6th ....... position)

<Note : While adding if the number is a two digit number treat both separately for example the number in the second position here is 9 , ....when doubled you get 18 .... treat 1 and 8 separately and not as 18 ... so while adding up all the numbers in the end u should add it as

1+8 and not as 18 >


(1+8)+2+8+0+4+(1+4)+2 = 30


5. Add These 2 sums

22+30 = 52

6. Subtract this no from the next highest round number .

So 60-52 = 8

Result = 8


The result should be equal to the 15th digit of your IMEI number

490154203237518

newprouser

Thanks for the Info ! I checked with my IMEI !

Rep++

gothic_coder

That was cool, Yes my phone is authentic

Rep+

Sid

Even my phone is genuine--Good Info mate

Punch Farce

But wont the manufactures of fake phones know this also and
create imei numbers that follow this rule?

-F

meetdilip

Interesting.

abhrapro

good point

ShAdOwCoN

1. Chinese manufacturers are not really very educated ..... Most of the time they just use random IMEI numbers

2. Only registered cell phone companies know the algorithm ...... without knowing the algorithm u can still create a authentic IMEI number that has a chance of being unique

But there is a small problem .... You need thousands of IMEI number per day for the thousands of phones manufactured

simply impossible without the algorithm

3. As you may/maynot know IMEI number can be seen by ur Service provider ..... he can blacklist your device when informed that it is stolen ...making it impossible to be used with any providers

making the use of a copied non unique IMEI number very dangerous

ShAdOwCoN

Indian Govt has passed a law recently banning use of phones with fake IMEI numbers .... Bcuz they cannot be tracked and so are used by Terrorists

sudu846

95% of china/Korean made phones use this algorithms (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imei) - ( i have checked it personelly). but they use the same IMEI number for thousands of sets. thats the problem. now BSNL is giving (using software they will update your phone IMEI number) new IMEI number for these fake Phones. they charge Rs. 199 and they will ask u to submit photo+documents also. once its done your china phone will have unique IMEI number.

mickey

gotcha! Same imei numb for numb of phones. Thats ridiculous. China is doing this to trouble Indian security.

Somedays back i saw a chinese touch screen mobile in Lazpat Market of Delhi. "SONKIA" was written on it
and on one was written, "Nokea". The phone was smart with tv touch screen mp3 video camera notebook mms gprs.
A phone called Sonkia pro had good camera. The phones cost were around 3.5k. One phone "Nktel" had even palmtop features and a nice organiser.

Tanmaya

this is very valuable information thank you for this

kirankumargb

yep very good info

Dragon

Original

ShAdOwCoN

Do you have a fake phone shop or something ?

useful ..... Hope its true ... otherwise ppl who contact BSNL for legitimising their fake phones will be in for some real trouble

Dragon