Mobile phone is one the most commonly stolen gadget and these days people carry ton of personal information on their phones. But the worst part is stolen phones can be used for illegal operations like drug trafficking or terrorism which can be a issue of concern for person whose phone was stolen or lost.
Worry not we have good news for phone owners and bad news for thieves. Major US Carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint have agreed to create a common database of stolen mobile phones to reduce their resale value and lock them. After theft or loss of phone the owner can contact the phone carrier and the phone will be blocked on all the above mentioned networks. Verizon and Sprint already have stolen mobile phone database in place, AT&T and T-Mobile are going to take few months to develop database.
After the development of database it will be integrated with other databases to form a common pool. Other regional carriers are also expected to join this endeavor within a year. It will be a problem for people who unwillingly buy stolen phones, so be careful regarding your purchase.
Source : WSJ
