National Database to Prevent Phone Theft

[pjw918]

Further thoughts on implementation.

All the database needs is the carrier and IMEI with a flag, which is either 'OK' or 'do not activate'. It's as simple as that. The phones automatically get placed in the database when the user signs up for service and can be 'deactivated' when reported stolen to the carrier. To give the database extra teeth it could be integrated with the US database to stop phones being shipped across the border.

f you're concerned about buying a stolen/disabled phone, then there should be a website you can go to and enter the IMEI of the phone to check its status. Any legit seller should be willing to allow you to do that, even if it's in the moments before the sale.

The EIR/CEIR mechanism is already in place to effectively block banned IMEI's from any CEIR* subscribed network.

The National Database would be a subset of CEIR IMEIs blacklisted by Canadian operators. It could be as simple as a list of IMEIs, reported as stolen or lost, matched with the reporting MCCMNC. This would facility the functions of 1) IMEI checks for status, and 2) delisting.

A national database website would enable a potential buyer to do a quick lost/stolen IMEI check. A handset found, which had been reported as lost or stolen, could be matched back to a carrier, facilitating return.

The means of delisting is important. That mechanism would require due diligence of a carrier in positively identifying the caller reporting the handset as lost or stolen, eg. billing address and account PIN, before reporting a blocked IMEI externally. This would designate soley the reporting carrier as able to reverse the blacklist status of the IMEI. A password might be required of the reporting user, stored by the carrier for delisting purpose. The CSR, after confirming the caller's identity, would only need to add the IMEI to one portal for it to be reported as black- or de-listed to both the national and CEIR databases.

Some degree of account/caller verification is already done, even for prepaid accounts. The choice to make use of the blacklist/recovery system would remain optional. There's no inherent compromise of privacy.

Whether all 'Canadian' IMEIs should be listed in a national database, or just those blacklisted, is a question. Eg, how would an unlocked phone purchased from a 3rd party retailer get on the list? Though I suppose there might now be a motivation for people to attach the IMEIs of non-carrier purchased phones to their accounts. I can imagine potential for privacy concerns if all IMEIs were automatically listed matched to carrier.

Just thinking it through here, devil's in the details. It remains a very doable, and very desirable service for the Canadian wireless consumer.

Comments, thoughts?

--
* The CEIR is now more commonly known as the IMEI DB, here's the official site of the GSMA IMEI DB.

[Tendenzi]

Seriously, what incentive does a seller have to report a phone stolen when they have the cash in their hand?

Because the seller stole the phone and the original owner is reporting it. While I appreciate your suggestion may be good advice to those that don't know, please note that I'm concerned for how this will protect the consumers using ebay and kajiji or other classified listings to acquire phones, and will fall victim in these cases if such a database existed.

Also, keep in mind how much more leg-work is going to be involved, and how many mis-steps can occur in private transactions like this.

[pjw918]

Because the seller stole the phone and the original owner is reporting it. While I appreciate your suggestion may be good advice to those that don't know, please note that I'm concerned for how this will protect the consumers using ebay and kajiji or other classified listings to acquire phones, and will fall victim in these cases if such a database existed.

I'm not sure I understand the concern. The burden of caveat emptor is there, with or without a blacklisted IMEI database. If such a database were in use, the incidence of stolen phones being offered for sale would be vastly reduced. If the thief has time enough to post an ebay or kijiji ad and reply to any responses, the original owner has time to report the phone as lost/stolen. Even without checking the IMEI via website in an in-person transaction, just slipping in your own SIM and trying to make a call would immediately reveal a network block. Is the concern to protect those who would send payment to purchase an unseen item from a seller without an established reputation?

[Tendenzi]

I'm not sure I understand the concern. The burden of caveat emptor is there, with or without a blacklisted IMEI database. If such a database existed, the incidence of stolen phones being offered for sale would be vastly reduced. If the thief has time enough to post an ebay or kijiji ad and reply to any responses, the original owner has time to report the phone as lost/stolen. Even without checking the IMEI via website in an in-person transaction, just slipping in your own SIM and trying to make a call would immediately reveal a network block. Is the concern to protect those who would send payment to purchase an unseen item from a seller without an established reputation?

You know what, it's just a thought I had that I quickly regret bringing up here in the WIND forums...

Yes, let's disregard an idea, because that's all it was. I don't care to discuss it further. But judging by the vast amount of stupid threads from people who can't do warranty on phones to people who don't know what they signed up for, I could care less any more if this passes or not.

I guess my real concern is if it becomes reality the stupidity of threads where people state they bought a phone that doesn't work on any network and how do you unlock these phones. In which case, I'm calling out a hypothetical GFYS and WAF in advance. Thank you.

[pjw918]

Disable stolen cellphones, police tell carriers - CBC, April 16

Toronto police say the cellphone industry needs to do more to protect clients whose devices are stolen with increasing frequency.

Police say that cellphone robberies have doubled in the past three years, with 1,800 such cases occurring last year in Toronto.

“That’s not including theft,” said Supt. Ron Taverner.

“That’s straight robberies, where victims were approached and physically accosted.”

But the problems don’t end when a cellphone is ripped away from a user, or otherwise stolen.

The person who has taken the cellphone can easily use the device on another network, as no unified database of stolen devices exists...

Police say that cellphone companies should have a system in place where they can shut down a stolen phone, reducing the incentive for theft and robbery.

“Our goal is to get the carriers, the providers, the cellphone companies to come on board with us, to be able to disable stolen phones in the future,” said Taverner.

The U.S. wireless industry recently committed to creating a national database system to allow providers to shut down stolen cellphones in the manner that police in Toronto describe...

[emphasis mine]

[SharpieFiend]

1800 muggings - and that's just Toronto alone. Unfortunately there's people here who would rather ignore this issue and have people get hurt or even killed so it's easier for them to buy a used device. Sigh.

At least the police seem to finally be on board, that's important. If somebody were to steal Vic Towes phone then maybe we'll get a law.

[Linde]

This seems like a good thing, but nothing I would want taxpayers money being spent on, as I think it could be spent on other more urgent matters. The problem is most thieves will try to sell their phones, and an unsuspecting normal person may receive a phone they cannot even use. Perhaps if there was just a simple website that everyone knew about, where they have a database where it lists who's phone was stolen and what the imei was. This way, anyone buying a phone should ensure it is not in the database, and if it is, they can alert the lost phone user who has their phone. Obviously this would require a lot of work and advertising to inform and get everyone to follow the website.

[SharpieFiend]

This seems like a good thing, but nothing I would want taxpayers money being spent on, as I think it could be spent on other more urgent matters. The problem is most thieves will try to sell their phones, and an unsuspecting normal person may receive a phone they cannot even use. Perhaps if there was just a simple website that everyone knew about, where they have a database where it lists who's phone was stolen and what the imei was. This way, anyone buying a phone should ensure it is not in the database, and if it is, they can alert the lost phone user who has their phone. Obviously this would require a lot of work and advertising to inform and get everyone to follow the website.

Yes, there would need to be a website where you could enter the IMEI of the phone and it would tell you if the phone was OK or not. Word will get out quickly that you need to be careful when buying a used phone and people will adapt.

When you have 1800 muggings in Toronto alone (which didn't account for other types of theft, or areas outside of The City of Toronto (ie. Mississauga)) how can this not be an urgent public safety issue?

[pjw918]

(US) New Bill Would Make It Illegal to Circumvent Phone Registry - Phone Scoop, May 17

New York Senator Charles Schumer today proposed new legislation that would make it illegal to tamper with cell phones in such a way that they could bypass the new stolen phone registry. Last month, the nation's top four wireless network operators agreed to work with the Federal Communications Commission to build and maintain a database of stolen cell phones IDs. The database would be used by the network operators to deny voice and data services to stolen devices registered on the list. The impetus behind the drive to create the database is to make it difficult to use stolen phones, thereby reducing the resale value of stolen phones, and ultimately curbing the theft of mobile devices. Senator Schumer's proposal builds on the idea of the database, and would make it against the law to tamper with the unique identification number of a cell phone in order to avoid the registry of stolen devices. "As part of the effort to shut down the black market for stolen iPhones, we must make it abundantly clear to would-be thieves, if you try to alter a stolen cell phone to get around the ban, you will face severe consequences," said Schumer. The CTIA Wireless Association applauded the proposal. "We are pleased to support Senator Schumer's legislation and believe it will be an important tool in the effort to combat the theft of wireless devices. We hope Congress moves quickly to pass this important bill."

Quite a different industry response from our CWTA.

[Carl Kennedy]

A national data base for a personal device would be costly to maintain if the people want it. But their are measures we can take to prevent the lost or thief of a phone. We can use "The CellBand".

"The CellBand" is a wrist sports band converted to hold small devices. They make two models. One holds all kinds of small devices, and another that just holds smart phones. They are cheap $6.99 and $7.99. Also, you can buy at wholesale from $1.50-2.00 depending on how much you want.

[DrVan]

A national data base for a personal device would be costly to maintain if the people want it. But their are measures we can take to prevent the lost or thief of a phone. We can use "The CellBand".

"The CellBand" is a wrist sports band converted to hold small devices. They make two models. One holds all kinds of small devices, and another that just holds smart phones. They are cheap $6.99 and $7.99. Also, you can buy at wholesale from $1.50-2.00 depending on how much you want.

Lol... Problem solved!

[pjw918]

Amid mounting pressure, Canada’s wireless industry vows to fight iCrime - Globe and Mail, Aug 19

Canada’s wireless industry says it will tackle mobile device theft amid escalating pressure from police, politicians and the federal telecom regulator to fight the rise of what is being called “iCrime.”

Carriers such as Quebecor Inc., Telus Corp., BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Mobilicity, Public Mobile, SaskTel, Eastlink, and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., have teamed up with device manufacturers such as Research In Motion Ltd., Motorola and Nokia to examine security solutions as part of a group under the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA).
...
The Canadian wireless industry has been sharply criticized for lagging behind on this issue, even as Canadians are among the world’s heaviest users of smartphones... That’s prompted police in Toronto and Vancouver to seek federal legislation that would force mobile carriers to create a national registry to track stolen devices and prevent them from being reactivated – similar to a plan for a central database that was recently announced in the United States.

According to one Toronto city councillor, cellphone robberies in the city have doubled in the past three years, with roughly 1,800 cases in 2011. Toronto’s police chief has called the thefts an “emerging violent crime in the city.”
...
Internationally, the GSM Association has been operating a database to fight cellphone theft since 1996.
...
The U.S. announced a plan in April to create an industry-funded central database to track and de-activate lost and stolen mobile phones. CWTA spokesman Marc Choma says the handset security working group will examine the U.S. model as well as other international initiatives.

[pjw918]

CRTC cracks down on iCrime – and carriers - Globe and Mail, Oct 1

Wireless carriers and the federal telecommunications regulator are heading toward a showdown over the rise of mobile-device theft.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is warning that it is prepared to use regulation to force the wireless industry into setting up a national registry of stolen smartphones and tablets, as more and more consumers fall victim to so-called “iCrime.”

The CRTC, which says it will explore regulatory options if it remains unsatisfied by the industry’s response up until Nov. 30, joins a growing chorus of critics, including police and politicians, who argue wireless firms are failing to do their part to protect consumers. Carriers in the U.S. are moving to set up a similar database to prevent stolen devices such as iPhones and iPads from being reactivated – and reducing the incentive for theft.

The commission’s tougher stance on setting up a registry is the latest sign it is adopting an increasingly pro-consumer stance under new chairman Jean-Pierre Blais. In addition to delivering a pair of consumer-friendly TV decisions since taking the helm in mid-June, he announced the creation of a chief consumer officer – a new role that Barbara Motzney began on Monday.
...

[SharpieFiend]

pjw, you missed the most important part of the article:

"As a result, the CRTC is critical of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association’s claim that it cannot provide comprehensive statistics on the number of lost and stolen devices. The CWTA has previously said that carriers collect those data in “differing degrees of detail” and consider such information “competitive, proprietary and confidential.”"

This proves that The Big 3 are more then happy to put their customers in harms way if it means they can make a buck. It's disgraceful, and needs to stop immediately.

[pjw918]

Thefts of cell phones rise rapidly nationwide [US] - Associated Press, Oct 20

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- In this tech-savvy city teeming with commuters and tourists, the cell phone has become a top target of robbers who use stealth, force and sometimes guns.

Nearly half of all robberies in San Francisco this year are cell phone-related, police say, and most occur on bustling transit lines.
...
One thief recently snatched a smartphone while sitting right behind his unsuspecting victim and darted out the rear of a bus in mere seconds.

Another robber grabbed an iPhone from an oblivious bus rider - while she was still talking.

And, in nearby Oakland, City Council candidate Dan Kalb was robbed at gunpoint of his iPhone Wednesday after he attended a neighborhood anti-crime meeting.

These brazen incidents are part of a ubiquitous crime wave striking coast to coast. New York City Police report that more than 40 percent of all robberies now involve cell phones. And cell phone thefts in Los Angeles, which account for more than a quarter of all the city's robberies, are up 27 percent from this time a year ago, police said.

"This is your modern-day purse snatching," said longtime San Francisco Police Capt. Joe Garrity, who began noticing the trend here about two years ago. "A lot of younger folks seem to put their entire lives on these things that don't come cheap."
...
When Apple's ballyhooed iPhone 5 went on sale last month, New York City police encouraged buyers to register their phone's serial numbers with the department. That came just months after a 26-year-old chef at the Museum of Modern Art was killed for his iPhone while heading home to the Bronx.
...
In April, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced that the major U.S. cell phone carriers and the Federal Communications Commission have agreed to set up a national database to track reported stolen phones. It is scheduled to launch in late 2013.

Schumer also introduced a bill called the Mobile Device Theft Deterrence Act, which proposes a five-year prison sentence for tampering with the ID numbers of a stolen cell phone. The bill is supported by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), a Washington, D.C. advocacy group.

In addition, CTIA officials said carriers are expected to launch individual databases later this month to permanently disable a cell phone reported stolen. The initiative is similar to a successful decade-old strategy in Australia....