How to recover a stolen or lost mobile device

ST. LOUIS, USA: While the likelihood of becoming a victim to cell phone theft directly or indirectly by unknowingly purchasing a stolen phone is high, steps have been taken to stop thieves in their tracks.

MyStolenPhone.com offers the public a way to find lost or stolen cellular devices by providing access to North America's largest public stolen phone database.

Individuals manually submit ESN, MEID, or IMEI numbers that can then be seen by thousands of businesses and other users who access the database when selling mobile devices.

"We are committed to efforts that help prevent the buying, selling, or trading of lost or stolen cellular telephones in the USA," said a spokesperson for MyStolenPhone.com. "We are putting forth a serious effort to protect buyers and sellers alike."

Upon discovering that a mobile phone or tablet has disappeared, several steps must be followed. These steps can be found on the homepage of www.MyStolenPhone.com. First, contact law enforcement. A "lookup number" link on the homepage shares phone numbers of local police departments.

Next, notify the wireless carrier for the device. If unsure, a list of providers and MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) is available on the website under the "Step #2" link. Finally, add the ESN (Electronic Serial Number) to the no-cost MyStolenPhone.com database. A MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifier) or IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identifier) number may be needed instead, depending on the device.

Once the device is in the system, if someone happens to check the ESN or IMEI of that phone, an automated email will be sent to the owner of the lost device alerting the user that the gadget's number was checked at a specified IP address.