13,500 phones with same IMEI number might be Vivo devices

Meerut Police cross checked with the cyber cell following a complaint. The investigation unearthed that almost 13,500 smartphones were running with the same IMEI number.

Vivo smartphone (Vivo)

PTI reported that around 13,500 mobile phones in the country were found to be running on the same International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, something that is meant to be unique to every device. 

Meerut Police discovered this when they were informed of a case where a person reported that their IMEI number had changed after he/she brought the phone back from the service center. Cops then decided to follow it up further and checked with the Cyber Cell. 

The cross checking revealed that almost 13,500 smartphones are running on the same IMEI number.

The name of the brand of phones in question was not divulged initially. Post that, according to a tweet posted by Zee journalist Jitender Sharma - we have come to know that the smartphone company in question is Vivo. 

The tweet also has a video where the Meerut Police is seen explaining how they found this anomaly. 

मेरठ में एक ही IMEI पर 13000 से ज्यादा मोबाइल फोन एक्टिव होने का मामला सामने आया। @meerutpolice ने मामला दर्ज कर जांच शुरू की। सभी मोबाइल @Vivo_India के है। आतंरिक सुरक्षा के लिये गंभीर मामला। pic.twitter.com/rQL4IrDb4O

— Jitender Sharma (@capt_ivane) June 4, 2020

Vivo, on the other hand, has not given an official statement on the matter yet. As pointed out in the earlier report, this might pose as a big security threat as criminals can use it to their advantage.

In case you are wondering how to check the IMEI number of your Android or iOS smartphones. Here are some simple steps.

Step 1: Open the dialer app in your smartphone.

Step 2: Type *#06#

And that's it, the IMEI number will be flashed on the handset's screen.

Usually, the smartphone's retail box mentions the device's IMEI number. In addition, Android users can still check the IMEI number of the handsets even if it has been lost. This can be done by logging in to the Google Dashboard using the account linked to the Android phone.