Locate A Mobile via IMEI

[TanJay]

Recently one of my friends misplaced his phone, and although he informed the authorities like telecommunication, we didn't get any response. And there is no tracker in that phone. But we have the IMEI. Is there any way we can trace the phone location?

[Kulverstukas]

No there isn't.

[KingCasra]

Not for the standard user. When the phone activates it will ping to the tower. Your provider will have the IMEI on a blacklist that will catch it and lock out the IMEI form most North American and European cell networks.

[v32itas]

Only known way for me to recover lost phone or laptop. Is to use it with some kind of anti-theft software installed. And with easy physical access. I mean no hardcore passwords ant stuff like that. If your phone/laptop has some kind of anti-theft software installed and thief or guy who found it can use it without reinstalling os/reseting factory settings. Then there is a possibility to recover it. But once you have done all paranoid tweaks on your hardware it's probably lost forever. Because first thing which is done to stolen phones/laptops (if it's password protected) is OS reinstall and restoring factory settings. To get easy access to it. So police looking for phones by IMEI is fairy tales.

[kenjoe41]

Lucky you, i know what you need to do to find your phone. He can't afford any software/hardware to change his IMEI so i would suggest you do a stigray attack. Sweet and a piece of cake. Goodluck mate and don't forget to come and tell us about the fun you had with all the l33tness in that attack.

https://www.aclu.org/node/37337

[KingCasra]

^I doubt OP can afford that. They range from $3000 up bro, and their hard to get.