Grievance & Safety
Block a lost phone and find every SIM issued in your name
How to block a stolen handset across all networks using its IMEI, unblock it if recovered, and see how many mobile connections are registered against your identity.
Blocking a SIM stops calls. Blocking the IMEI stops the handset itself from working on any Indian network, with any SIM. Most people who lose a phone only do the first, which is why stolen handsets keep circulating.
The same portal also answers a question most people have never thought to ask: how many mobile connections are currently issued against your identity document? Fraudulent connections taken in someone else's name are a routine precursor to financial fraud, and the check takes a minute.
Before you start
- Your phone's IMEI number — on the original box, on the purchase invoice, or in your Google or Apple account's device list.
- A police complaint. The portal requires the complaint number and a copy.
- An alternate mobile number for OTP.
- The lost SIM's number and provider.
Step by step
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Report the loss to the police first
File a complaint at the station or through your state police's online lost-article reporting. You need the complaint number to block the IMEI — this is not optional.
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Get a duplicate SIM
Contact your operator for a replacement SIM on the same number. This matters beyond calls: your number is the second factor for banking, UPI and Aadhaar, and leaving it active in someone else's hands is the real risk.
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Block the IMEI on Sanchar Saathi
Go to sancharsaathi.gov.in and use the block-stolen-mobile service. Enter the mobile number, IMEI, device details, the police complaint number and upload the complaint copy. Verify by OTP on your alternate number. The IMEI is then blocked across all Indian operators.
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Save the request ID
You need it to check the status or to unblock later.
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Unblock if the phone is recovered
The same portal has an unblock service using your request ID. Do this before trying to use the handset — a blocked IMEI will not register on any network.
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Check how many connections are in your name
Use the connection-check service on the same portal. Enter your mobile number and verify by OTP. It lists the mobile connections issued against your identity document. Report any you do not recognise directly from that screen — the operator is then required to act.
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Check a device before buying it second-hand
The portal has a service to check whether a given IMEI is genuine or already reported. Run it before paying for a used phone.
Fees, timelines and key facts
| Portal | sancharsaathi.gov.in |
|---|---|
| Cost | Free |
| Needed to block | IMEI, police complaint number and a copy of the complaint |
| Effect of blocking | The handset cannot register on any Indian network with any SIM |
| Reversible | Yes, through the unblock service if recovered |
| Connection check | Lists mobile connections issued against your identity, with a report option |
| Find your IMEI | Dial *#06# on the handset while you still have it, and save the result somewhere |
If something goes wrong
You do not know the IMEI
Check the original box, the purchase invoice, or your Google or Apple account device list. Without it the handset cannot be blocked — which is why it is worth recording now.
The police station will not register a complaint
Most states accept an online lost-article report which generates a reference number. Use that.
You find connections in your name you never took
Report them from the portal. This is a strong signal that your identity document has been misused, so also check your credit report and consider locking your Aadhaar biometrics.
The phone was recovered but will not connect
The IMEI block is still active. Unblock through the portal with your request ID.
Questions people ask
Does blocking the IMEI actually work?
Yes. The block is applied across operators through the central equipment identity register, so the handset cannot register on any Indian network regardless of which SIM is inserted.
Is there any fee?
No. Sanchar Saathi services are free.
How many SIMs can be issued against one identity document?
There is a cap set by the Department of Telecommunications on connections per individual identity. The connection-check service shows what is currently active against yours.
Should I do this before or after informing my bank?
If the phone was your banking second factor, treat it as a potential financial compromise: get the SIM blocked and replaced first, watch your accounts, and follow the fraud steps if anything moves.
Official pages for this task
These are the only sites that can actually do this for you. Everything else is a middleman.