A study conducted in 2011 by Symantec says that 53% of Indians have been a victim to mobile phone loss or theft. The number is huge and so is the issue. People consider it a tedious and stressful task to report a mobile theft. However, a missing complaint is necessary to ensure that you won’t be in trouble if the cellphone is misused.
In this story, we see how the Mumbai police helped in recovering a phone lost 8 months back in Mumbai. Navin had lost his phone while travelling in the busiest of Mumbai local trains from Churchgate to Andheri at about 8:30pm on 23rd May 2012. The next day, he visited the railway police station to file a missing complaint.
Now here we need to understand a difference between a missing complaint and a FIR. In the case of FIR, the police have to compulsorily take an action and the process gets a bit complicated. Police generally would not agree to lodge an FIR and recommend a missing complaint instead. Navin filed the missing complaint and submitted a copy of the bill (including the IMEI number).
Navin had no hopes of getting the phone back but his father sent a copy of the missing complaint to the Cyber Crime Cell to try out their luck. Neither Navin, nor his dad had been in touch with the police after that but after about 8 months the police could trace the phone’s IMEI number to Allahabad, UP (almost 1400 kms away from Mumbai). The railway police followed up with the new owner of the stolen phone in Allahabad and ensure that it was bought back to Mumbai. Once it was back in Mumbai, Navin was called to claim the phone.
On asking how Navin felt on getting his phone back, he said “I never had any hope for getting my phone back but to me my phone was valuable. Even today it commands a resale value of Rs 8,000, so it’s a lottery.” He also recommends to atleast file a complaint incases of phone loss/theft. This not only will increase your chances of getting your phone back, but also it will also protect you from any potential misuse of your phone.
Pls suggest – how to file a complaint with the cyber crime cell.
I have lost my SII.
If you have the bill try filing a police complaint!
You can send a copy of your police complaint to cybercell.mumbai@mahapolice.gov.in and then try to follow up with them on +91 – 022 – 24691233. Hope this helps.
When my HTC HD2 got stolen from my house more than 2 years ago. I went to the Dadar Police Station to lodge a complaint. The first thing they tell me is “itna mehenga phone kharidne ki kya zaurat thi”. And since I’d got Android on it, I could see the current network it was used on, I gave this info to the police.
Till date there’s no follow up from the police. In 99% of cases the Mumbai Police are useless at finding phones. Only if you go up higher in the chain will they will take your complaint seriously. Else for a common man’s normal complaint everything’s futile.
This is good news for us. Mumbai Police is doing very good job. But we can change the IMEI number using flash procedure, don’t you think?
And thanks for informing me about it via email. 🙂
i have lost My Apple Iphone 5 , i do posses all the required documents (bills etc), and i also lodge complaint regarding the same in the police station , they always reply with the same thing , that it will take time , procedures have to be followed . Why they don’t feel the need to take some action , i know very well that if they wish to trace my phone for them its a 1 day job , but i don’t have any contacts in mumbai thats why i don’t think i will ever get it back ..
Dear Sir/Mam
This Is Yogesh Sawant I Lost My Cell Phone IN Mumbai Local Train , I HAve Lodge A Complaint In Borivali Rail Way PoliceStation On 16th Aprill 2013 But Till Now They Are Not Able To Find It Out Please Help Me To Find MY Cell Phone.
Name : Yogesh Vitthal Sawant
Add: M.S.E.B Colony Bldg NO 1, Room No 6, Vasai (E), Dist Thane, 401202
Phone Module :SONY Tipo ST21i2
Make : SONY
Last Used No : 9004242551/8856078585
Missed Date : 16th April 2013
IMEI No : 353811051045329
Thanks & Regards
yogesh sawant
9004242551
did u find ur cell fone nw?
Just 6 days Ago… My Brand new Samsung Galaxy Tablet2 (which I had purchased 2 hrs earlier from flipkart) Got stolen in Mumbai’s Borivali station. I tried to lodged Complaint.. and since then I have been taking followups from Borivali Railway Police station. Let’s see, what happens.. The police guys shown me many tracked and recovered phones etc. (to make me confirmed that they take complaints seriously) . If I get my stolen Tablet back, i shall definitely share my experience with you all Guys!
I have lost my Nokia Lumia 520 on 26/10/2013 and i have also launched complaint with the police station. How do i take it further? Please help as i love my phone alot.
I AM HUMBLE REQUESTED THAT MY SAMSUNG GALAXY CORE MOBILE IS LOSS PLZ HELP ME TO FIND OUT MY MOBILE PLZ SIR MY MOBILE IMEI NO IS 359710/05/079417/2 & 359710/05/079417/2 PLZ FIND MY MOBILE & CONTACT ON 8693884140 THAT NO PLZ HELP MI SIR
Its good to know atleast you recovered your <a href=”http://www.imeitrack.org”>lost mobile phone</a>.Yes, it usually takes time to recover those. The reason being that once the cellphones are being stolen they are either sold or are kept in a switched mode for several months to avoid being caught.
I strongly agree that its is a must to file a missing complaint atleast to avoid any trouble in case of misuse.
Hello All, as I found that many of you have lost your phone or tab etc, just I want to know any one of you able to get back your mobile/tab?
Also. after getting NOC letter from police regarding the mobile theft, what is the procedure to send that to cyber crime department(as in the article above it was mentioned that the NOC was sent to the Cyber Crime Department)?
Hello,
my phone sony xperiazr is stolen in buses it time going on approx 45 days the police donot get any idea where is this can you suggest me what can i do for the same?
Please use head phones with music on while travelling (atleast ear one bud) which I didint do and lost my xperia Z
Hello,
my phone sony xperia L is stolen in bus In delhi on 24-12-2014. i tried to register complaint in nearest police station but they are saying that they will register the complaint for missing of phone, not for stolen. this is the second time i am facing the same problem. one of my htc mobile was stolen and thet time also police registered the case of missing of phone.
in Delhi the bus drivers and conductors are also involved with thieves. they do not stop the bus and help the thief to ran away. Even the police also not register the complain of stolen. They all are involved and share the amount.
somebody should take a legal action for such kind of cases against police also.
please somebody help me in finding my phones.
my contact no. is +91-9977708243
My Brand new moto G2 (which I had purchased 15 days hrs from flipkart) Got stolen in Mumbai’s Thane station. I tried to lodged Complaint.. and since then I have been taking followups from thane Railway Police station. The police guys shown me many tracked and recovered phones etc. . If I get my stolen Phone back, i shall definitely share my experience with you all Guys!
It’s very hard to get your phone back once you loose it. When i was residing in delhi, it was very normal there to change the imei number in just 200-300 rs. Thus the chance to get your phone back decreases. People root the phone and restore the imei number. Even i lost my samsung note-2 some months back and i have no hope if i will get it back or not ??
The Cops have found my Mobile, but now i wanted to know the procedure for claiming back the mobile form court.
My md Kalam
my phone
samsung galaxy S3 Neo
IMEI *352607/06/438056/7*
*352608/06/438056/5*
sir plz help me new
contact no 8578807750
Rs1551 Gift inam
Dear Sir / Madam,
I am Vijay M. Solanki, my mobile stolen in train at charni road Station on dated 03/11/2015 time 9.30 pm
i have given complaint at churchgate railway police station,
Mobile Brand is Infocus M530 16gb violet colour
Date of Purchase 21/07/2015 from Snapdeal on line
IME No 1: 355989065819992
IME No 2: 355989065820008
Sim no 9820922447 Idea
thanks & regards,
Vijay M. Solanki
9820922447 / 8652519108
On 24th jan 2016 my phone was snatched from my car at Lucky signal bandra, there were three people one pretended to fall on my car i halted my car i opened my window to see if they got hurt other person came from other side and banged my car when I looked at other side, meanwhile other person put his hand in my car and removed my phone, it was a brand new phone not even a month old worth rupees 50k Samsung galaxy edge gold 64 gb i went to bandra police station they gave me NC and said if found will call but till now haven’t heard anything sir need your help pls help me in getting my phone it was a very hard earn money i have still not purchased a phone with a hope that will get the phone back, i had very much faith in Mumbai police from my childhood but its all rubbish they dnt even reply properly if you go to follow up.
my iphone 6s which i have buyed before 2 weeks ago was stolen in the train when i was travelling from borivali to santacruz on 2/3/2016 at 6.45pm in the train. I have loged a complain with the bandra railway police station but no action is taken till now and i dont think that they are going to do something.
Hiii
Saumyy here I lost my mobile in train when I was traveling jhansi to mumbai …I complaint in Nasik GRPF police said they will send this to bhopal because this happened in bhopal …I waiting since then no follow up no call where n how n whome to contact???
Saumyy
Last used no. Mobile no: 9820013087
Make : ASUS ZE551ML
IMEI No. 357870061670647
Lost date: 31mar 2016
Email: saumyy.s@gmail.com
Not received any response from MAh Police….!!!
hi Tushar… my name is amit kalamkar residing at koparkhairne navi mumbai.. my mobile have also stolen by someone ..on 30/04/16 at night 10 pm plz ti guide me to recover handset. which u get help by maha .. police as u mention in ur reply. i hv lots of my data on this phone..my current no. is 9769227483 plz reply or sms me hw i can do.
My vivo Y51l was stolen on 20th may. I complained to virar police station on today which is 22 may but the date they had put on the complaint header is 25/05/2016 .
And no imei no.s taken as I provided everything…. like (Box , Bill ..)
I dont understand if all the mobiles are recovered by imei than why they haven’t taken it…
My Samsung Galaxy S3 phone has stolen on 28 May 2016 from Local train in Thane and I am requesting for the FIR in thane police station for filing a claim because I had taken Insurance for my phone but they are not giving me FIR Copy they gave me Missing Report and just saying come tomorrow for FIR I have visited 5 to 6 times in police station but didn’t get FIR Copy and Insurance company saying me that your claim will not be process without FIR copy.
I literally tired while running into the police station.
Hello Sir,
I lost my phone at 15 January 2016 in train at night while travelling from Agra to Ahmedabad at approx. 12-1 AM (16 Jan). Here i am providing all the information to trace my mobile:
Name: Md. Rayhan Tanvir
Address: Kabir(1st floor), Jai Geet Society, Street no#3, Kalawad Road, Rajkot-360005, Gujarat, India
Email: rayhan07@gmail.com
Missed Date: 15 January, 2016
IMEI No: 911401503371989
Last Used No: 8469947442
Phone Model: YU Yureka(Moondust Grey)(AO5510)
Make: Micromax
Please please help me by tracing my phone. I have all the documents like invoice copy, train ticket. Thank you.
Rayhan Tanvir
Apologies sir, but we cannot help you in tracing your phone back. The local police authorities can only help you in this matter.
I lost my lyf water 7 on 20/8/16, when I was travelling in ola cab.i contacted the cab driver as well as ola customer support but in vain.i have the imei no also.what should I do
my j7 mobile had stolen from my purse at ajmer shariff dargah rajashthan my iemi number is 3528490073718291 my husband contact number is 8080270400
Did u get your phone back ?
Hi Yash ,after the FIR was registered, did u get any confirmation sms, or written confirmation from the police that they have started tracking the mobile phone?
Hi rohan, thanks for this post…I just wanted to know two things , firstly was there any confirmation given to you by the police that whether they have put ur phone on tracking and secondly, where did this incidence occur, was it in Mumbai or Navi Mumbai?
SIR I HAVE LOST MY PHONE…….BUT I DON’T HAVE BILL FOR THAT…..WHAT I HAVE TO DO TO GIVE A POLICE COMPLAINT
You have to make affidavit or application letter from court recovery of thief product.i think it will take few days to get back
There is syndicate of thieves robber in collabration with police n police very well kno all gang who operates with this modus operandi of mobile phone daily they have been given target of mobile n consignment is packed n delivered in other states for sale police nos everthing but there share is on it i have been searching for my son mobile lost in rcksaw but of in vien i get in contact with various people to get the culprit n came to kno about modus operandi shame on the system of gov. N police . Hats off to gangster robber n thieves who rules over police
Dear Sir/Madam,
My Name is karuna Ramesh Sawant.I have Lost my mobile phone on 1st November,2017 at thane railway station platform No.4,the person is catch on the CCTV futage.my mobile Model is VIVO 1609 Y66 the IMEI no.is as follows- 1) 863715032879255
2) 863715032879248
please help me to find my lost mobile.