refurbished mobiles: Buying a second-hand phone? Delhi Police wants you to check this first – morningtidings

Buying a second-hand phone is not a bad option. It’s affordable and is as easy as buying a new phone thanks to online platforms like OLX. However, it is always advisable to practice caution and check that the device is not stolen or compromised, as the same may bring trouble for you in the future.
Delhi Police in a post on microblogging platform Twitter has asked those buying second-hand phones to check the IMEI number of the device on Zipnet website. “Beware of buying second-hand mobile phone. It might have been stolen/used in crime. Such reported phones IMEIs are listed on #DelhiPolice #Zipnet system and shared to @DoT_India to block the IMEIs making the phones unusable. Check DelhiPolice Zipnet”, says the tweet shared by Delhi Police.

IMEI or the International Mobile Equipment Identity number is a 15-digit number which is unique to each device. It acts as a fingerprint for each device and can be used to identify a device on the network, if a smartphone is stolen.
Here’s how you can check the IMEI of your phone on the website

ZIPNet (Zonal Integrated Police Network) was introduced in the year 2004. Its main objective is to share crime and criminal information in real-time. It acts as an online repository for Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Punjab and Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh Police.