OXFORD, United Kingdom-In a somewhat belated effort to reduce cell-phone theft, the five U.K. mobile operators have agreed to establish a common database where phones can be reported and logged as stolen. According to government statistics, up to 200 cell phones are being reported as stolen each hour in the United Kingdom, and the database could stop these handsets from being used on other networks.
The database, which will be managed by the GSM Association, will use the cell phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) number, which is unique to each device. The association said this initiative had set an example for network operators worldwide and should encourage others to follow this model. However, those that traffic in stolen cell phones are thought to be capable of reprogramming the devices with new IMEI numbers even though this practice has been made illegal by the U.K. government.
Earlier this year, under pressure from the U.K. government to reduce the number of cell-phone related crimes-more than 700,000 were reported stolen in 2001-operators complained that establishing a central register of all handsets would be difficult and not halt this upsurge in theft. Also, insurance companies said the number of stolen cell phones is greatly inflated by consumers claiming to have been robbed, while their true intent is to obtain a newer version at the insurance companies’ expense.
