If your mobile phone is lost or stolen, do three things in this order: report it to the police and keep a copy of the complaint, get a duplicate SIM on the same number from your operator, and then block the handset on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) through the Department of Telecommunications' Sanchar Saathi portal. Once blocked, the phone cannot be used on any Indian mobile network, and if someone tries, the attempt can be flagged to the police.
Step 1: report it to the police
CEIR will not block a phone without a police complaint, so this comes first.
- If the phone was stolen (snatched, picked from a pocket, taken from your home or car), it is theft under section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a cognizable offence. Ask for an FIR. Many states let you file an e-FIR for theft of a phone online; see our guide on filing a zero FIR or an e-FIR.
- If you simply lost it and do not suspect theft, most state police websites have a "lost article report" service. You fill in the details and download the report immediately, without visiting the station.
Either way, write down the police station's name and the complaint number, and save a copy. You are entitled to a free copy of an FIR; our guide on getting an FIR copy online explains how. If the station will not record a theft, the steps in what to do when police won't register an FIR apply.
Step 2: secure your number and your money
Before anything else gets worse, protect the number and the accounts tied to it.
- Call your mobile operator, ask them to block the SIM, and request a duplicate SIM on the same number. You will need it, because the CEIR form sends a one-time password to that number.
- Call your bank and block UPI, net banking and any cards linked to the phone.
- From another device, change the passwords of your email, social media and payment apps, and sign the lost phone out of your accounts.
- If money has already been taken, report it at once on the 1930 helpline or the national cyber crime portal. Speed decides whether the money can be held; see how to report online fraud on 1930.
Step 3: find the IMEI number
Every phone has an IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), a 15-digit number that identifies the handset itself. Dual-SIM phones have two. You will find it:
- on the phone's original box, usually on a sticker;
- on the purchase invoice or warranty card;
- in the device list of the Google or Apple account the phone was signed in to.
If you still have another phone, it helps to know that dialling `*#06#` on any handset shows its IMEI; make a habit of noting it down when you buy a new phone.
Step 4: block the phone on CEIR
Go to the Sanchar Saathi portal (sancharsaathi.gov.in) or the Sanchar Saathi app and choose the option to block a lost or stolen mobile handset. The form asks for:
- the mobile numbers that were in the phone and the IMEI numbers;
- the brand, model and a copy of the purchase invoice;
- where and when the phone was lost, the state, district and police station;
- the police complaint number and a copy of the complaint;
- the owner's name, address and an identity document;
- an email address and the one-time password sent to your (duplicate) SIM.
When you submit, you get a request ID. Save it. The block is applied across all networks, and you can check the status on the portal with the same ID.
What happens after the phone is blocked
A blocked handset will not work for calls or mobile data with any Indian SIM. If someone inserts a new SIM, the system records it and can alert the police station that has your complaint, which then contacts the user. Many phones are recovered this way, sometimes months later. The phone may still work on Wi-Fi, so keep your accounts signed out and protected.
If the phone was used for fraud or harassment
Sometimes a stolen phone is used to send messages from your accounts, ask your contacts for money or post in your name. Tell your contacts quickly from another number or account, keep screenshots of anything sent, and add those details to your police complaint or file a fresh complaint on the cyber crime portal. Blocking the handset stops it working on Indian networks, but it does not undo messages already sent, so the record matters.
Step 5: unblock it if it comes back
If you get the phone back, use the "unblock found mobile" option on Sanchar Saathi with your request ID, and tell the police station that the phone has been recovered so they can close the complaint. The handset then works normally again. If the police recover it, they will usually ask you to bring the invoice and your identity proof to collect it.
Buying a used phone: check first
Before you buy a second-hand phone, check its IMEI on Sanchar Saathi's "Know your mobile" service. It tells you whether the IMEI is valid, blocked or duplicated. Changing a phone's IMEI is a criminal offence under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, and a phone reported stolen can be seized from whoever is using it, even a buyer who paid for it.
Common mistakes
- Blocking before getting a duplicate SIM. Without it you cannot receive the one-time password.
- Not saving the request ID. You need it to unblock the phone or check its status.
- Calling it "lost" when it was stolen. A theft needs an FIR; a lost report does not start an investigation.
- Forgetting the money side. Blocking the handset does nothing to stop payments already made from your accounts. If that has happened, read how to get money back after cyber fraud.
