Phone Cloning
A case of a dangerous game of phone cloning has come to light, in which 1.5 lakh fake mobile phones with the same IMEI number have been found. IMEI i.e. International Mobile Equipment Identity Number is a 15 digit unique number, which is used when the phone is lost or stolen. The work of finding the mobile is done with the help of IMEI. Be it a smartphone or a feature phone, every mobile has a unique number.
If many phones with the same IMEI number are found, it becomes difficult to find out which mobile phone was used to commit a crime. This case of phone cloning is from the neighboring country Bangladesh, where 1.5 lakh mobile phones with the same IMEI number have been found. Shahid Alam, Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer of Bangladesh’s mobile phone operator Robi, said this in a seminar organized by the Directorate of Telecommunications in Dhaka.
Thousands of mobile phones with one IMEI
Shahit Alam said in his statement, “More than 1.5 lakh mobile phones with the same IMEI number are being used in Bangladesh, all these phones are fake.” However, Bangladesh’s former Chief Technology Officer AKM Murshid told BBC that the number of fake mobile phones could be less than 1.5 lakh. AKM Murshid also said that for some years, 8 lakh mobile phones were working simultaneously on the same IMEI number on an operator’s network. It is also a matter of concern that how can so many mobile phones with the same IMEI number work simultaneously?
What is IMEI number?
As we know, it is a 15 digit unique identification number which is programmed while manufacturing the mobile device. However, some mobile phones also have IMEI numbers of 17 digits. The IMEI number can be called the identity of any mobile phone. This number will tell where the mobile handset you are holding in your hand was manufactured and in which area it is being used.
Bangladesh uses the Global System for Mobile Communication (GCS) to track devices with the same IMEI number. The system is designed in such a way that it is easy to find mobile phones with the same IMEI number. You can dial *#06# to check the IMEI number of your phone.
Cybercriminals can clone phones in two ways to commit fraud, including SIM cloning and IMEI cloning. In this case, the Cyber and Special Crime Department of Bangladesh Police has raided several places and detected a gang making fake handsets. Phones with fake IMEI numbers are used on a large scale for cyber crime.