Hyderabad: Shops accused of unlocking phones without ownership checks

Mobile phone repair shops in the city are under scrutiny for allegedly unlocking devices without verifying customers’ identities, despite repeated advisories from cybercrime officials.

Sources said some technicians, in a bid to earn quick money, are unlocking phones, removing screen patterns and bypassing security features without asking customers to provide documents establishing ownership. These may include Aadhaar cards, purchase bills or the original box of the device. Technicians are reportedly charging around Rs 500 to Rs 700 for such services.

According to sources, some individuals allegedly involved in property-related offences have been approaching mobile markets to unlock secured devices. In certain cases, stolen phones are suspected to have been brought to repair shops for unlocking. When police later trace such devices and approach the concerned shops, technicians either provide details of the transactions or claim they were unaware of the phones’ ownership.

Sources also said some customers approach technicians with advanced technical expertise to alter the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers of stolen devices. Such services reportedly cost around Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 and can make it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to track the devices.

Cybercrime officials have repeatedly advised mobile repair technicians to verify customers’ identities before undertaking unlocking or other security-related procedures. Shops have also been advised to check a phone’s IMEI number through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal to determine whether the device has been reported lost or stolen.

Established mobile repair centres generally collect government-issued identity documents, maintain service job sheets and ask customers to produce purchase invoices or the original device box before carrying out procedures such as factory-reset bypasses or account unlocking.

Officials have warned that technicians who knowingly assist in accessing stolen devices could face legal action. Cybercrime officials said that if an investigation establishes that offenders repeatedly used a particular shop to unlock stolen phones, the owner or technician could also face action for allegedly facilitating criminal activity.