Why should you be concerned and informed about websites that aid in finding lost mobile phones?

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Due to a lack of proper awareness among people in society about the institutions and related services that help locate and recover lost mobile phones, many people are resorting to unofficial assistance. This is a fact-check we conducted to inform society about the adverse effects caused by them.

Social Media Posts :

A post was published on social media referring to a website named “findmobile.lk” as a new website to find lost mobile phones.

Facebook | Archived Link

This post received numerous responses, and based on the requests we received to investigate whether it was a government-affiliated institution or an official website, we investigated the matter.

Fact Check :

This website was also promoted through a Facebook page created by Findmymobile, and a link was provided for further details.

It stated that the website allows you to check the status of your mobile phone and even find your lost or stolen mobile phone.

“If you buy a new mobile phone from a shop, you can check the phone through this website and buy it, and also you check whether the phone was a previously stolen one or an assembled phone.”

It states that the users have the opportunity to buy a quality phone and can use the website for free.

Accordingly, we examined the services offered by the findmobile.lk website. To avail of its services, users are required to submit their details including the IMEI number, full name, phone number, the date and location where the phone was lost, and a brief description that can be used for identification, to the “Report Stolen Device” section.

However, it displays that to “activate” this service and proceed further, a payment of Rs. 100 has to be made through the PayHere payment portal.

Also, there was no visible disclaimer, privacy policy, or official link confirming the website’s affiliation with any government agency, including TRCSL, ICTA or Sri Lanka Police (ineed.police.lk). Furthermore, there was no mention of how the website could locate a phone via IMEI number.

The above website is not affiliated with any government or official institutions!

We checked the official portal and directories of the Ministry of Digital Economy to see if this is an officially registered government institution. Although institutions such as ICTA, TRCSL, SL CERT, SLT Mobitel, DRP, and DPA are listed, there is no mention of a service like FindMobile.lk.

We also checked the TRCSL official website, which provides information on device clearance and regulatory functions, but found that FindMobile.lk was not listed as an authorized service provider.

Furthermore, ICTA, a leading information technology organization in Sri Lanka, has also not mentioned this website.

As there is no public record of FindMobile.lk being registered or compliant with the government, and as there are no records in the Data Protection Authority (www.dataprotection.gov.lk) or ICTA websites, it is confirmed that it has not been formally approved.

When we inquired whether the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and the official online reporting portal of the Sri Lanka Police, ineed.police.lk, have any affiliate, partnership or authorized service associated with FindMobile.lk, they confirmed that these official institutions have no connection with the above website.

What are the official institutions and platforms that help in reporting lost or stolen mobile phones?

The official online platform introduced by the Sri Lanka Police to help the public report lost or stolen mobile phones is ineed.police.lk, which allows you to report lost phones without having to visit a police station.

To submit an online complaint about a lost phone, visit the website ineed.police.lk and provide your National Identity Card (NIC) number, the phone’s IMEI number, and other relevant information about the incident.

If the lost mobile phone is found, the police will inform you and hand it over to you at a police station. If it is a theft, the relevant suspect will also be brought in.

To obtain information about this, the Sri Lanka Police has also provided contact numbers such as 0718598888 for WhatsApp and +94 11 2421111 for their headquarters in Colombo. A video detailing this service is below.

You can also file a complaint about lost mobile service through the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL). Information on this can be found here.

You can also use Google’s “Find My Device” feature to locate a lost or stolen phone. You can refer to more information here.

Apple users have also been informed about the methods they can use to find their lost devices.

Findmobile.lk website response

When we inquired with the founder of the FindMobile.lk about this, he mentioned that when a customer complains about a lost or a stolen phone, the IMEI number of their mobile phone is added to the database of their system. If mobile phone sellers associated with him come across such a misplaced phone for resale, as they also check the IMEI number of the phone before the purchase, the misplaced phone can be located.

What happens here is that the IMEI number associated with the mobile phone you are complaining about is added to his database as being lost. His partners must find your phone; otherwise, there is no way to find the lost mobile phone.

However, paying a fee does not guarantee that your lost or stolen mobile phone will be found, as it is doubtful.

The reason for this is that his partners need to locate your phone, and even if one of them somehow finds your mobile phone, there is no process in place to retrieve it through them.

Furthermore, although it is stated that more than a hundred phones have been found through this website, its creator himself claims that this can even be done by someone who has the details of a lost phone, making it impossible to verify the authenticity.

Since it is not an official process involving government-affiliated or official ICT institutions, the police, or telephone network providers, the creator of the website himself states that his system relies solely on the users who connect with the website.

Accordingly, even if this website does not fulfil your needs, there is still a question regarding for which purpose your data will be used.

This is because they cannot guarantee that your financial information or personal information will not be exposed to a third party through this website.

The risk of providing the IMEI number.

There is also a risk of catastrophic situations arising from sharing IMEI numbers with unverified parties.

Criminals can duplicate your phone’s identity and perform illegal activities under your name, and sometimes your legitimate device can be blocked from phone networks.

There is also a risk that cybercriminals will use IMEI data for sophisticated fraud schemes, including SIM SWAP attacks, financial manipulation of your calls, messages, and verification codes.

Accordingly, there is a risk of identity theft, financial loss, legal issues, and privacy violations associated with the IMEI number. More details on this here.

Therefore, it is crucial to exchange IMEI information only with verified legal entities and on a strictly necessary basis.

Also Read: An explanation about the mandatory registration of mobile phone IMEI numbers!

Finding lost mobile phones: The importance of being careful when using websites like this!

Official institutions dealing with this issue in Sri Lanka, such as the Police Headquarters and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, advice that you should always refrain from providing your information to unofficial institutions or websites.

While such methods operate outside the regulatory framework, the findmobile.lk website is an example of a case where the public is being exploited by taking advantage of their ignorance of the official processes for finding lost phones. Therefore, users should rely only on official channels to report and locate their lost devices.