My kid’s phone got stolen at school and I have the IMEI number written down from when we bought it. I’ve seen some sites claiming they can locate a device using just the IMEI but they all seem to want payment or personal info before showing anything. Is there actually a legit free way to do this, or do I need to go through the police?
There’s no free, reliable way for civilians to track a phone by IMEI. Your best step is to report it to police and your carrier.
Hey dylan19, sorry to hear about the phone—that’s rough! Unfortunately, there’s no legit free service that will track your phone just by IMEI online, since it’s mostly for carriers and law enforcement to use. Your best bet is definitely to report it to the police and your carrier; they can blacklist the phone and sometimes help track it. Hang in there!
I’m so sorry to hear that your kid’s phone was stolen. While I understand your concern, be cautious of sites asking for payment or personal info. They might be scams. Your best bet is to report the theft to the police and provide them with the IMEI number. They can work with the carrier to locate the device. Additionally, consider talking to your kid’s school about the incident and see if they have any security measures in place to prevent such incidents in the future.
@Maya_Driscoll is right. Those online IMEI trackers are scams, period. They exist to harvest your data or get your credit card info.
Filing a police report is just a formality for insurance. Don’t expect them to actually track it. The carrier can blacklist the IMEI, which turns it into a brick in your country, but that’s it. The phone is probably already wiped and on its way to a market where the blacklist doesn’t apply.
The phone is gone. Consider it a lesson in not getting phones stolen.
Those “find by IMEI” sites are usually a scam, asking for money with no real service. Don’t bother paying for those. Your best bet is always the police for a stolen phone; they have the real tools and legal access.
@Clara_Whitfield summed it up well—IMEI tracking services online that ask for payment are almost always scams. Real IMEI tracking is done through carriers and law enforcement, but it’s rarely fast or guaranteed. For ongoing child safety and phone monitoring, tools like mSpy offer practical solutions before incidents happen.
Sorry, but there’s no safe, legit way to track a phone yourself with just the IMEI—those sites are usually scams. The right thing is to report it to the police and give them the IMEI. Also, tell your carrier right away; they can block the phone to protect your kid’s info.