How you usually find out
- The phone shows "No service" or "SIM not supported" with a working SIM a few days after you bought it. That's often a blacklist.
- After a reset, it asks for someone else's Apple Account ("iPhone Locked to Owner") or a Google account previously synced on the device.
- The lock screen suddenly shows a message and phone number from the owner. They've marked it lost.
- An IMEI check comes back "reported stolen".
- Police or the owner contact you.
Step 1: Stop using it and don't reset it
Take your SIM out, sign out of your own accounts, and put the phone somewhere safe. Don't erase it, don't try to bypass a lock, and don't sell it on. The lock screen, the owner's message and the IMEI are your evidence. Trying to resell a phone once you know it's stolen can turn an innocent mistake into a crime.
Step 2: Confirm what's wrong
Not every dead phone is stolen. Dial *#06# for the IMEI and run it on the IMEI check. The free check searches SafeOrStolen theft reports and public web results; the paid check looks at the carrier lost/stolen blacklist. A phone can also be blocked because the previous owner stopped paying for it, or simply locked to another carrier. Those are still the seller's problem, but the steps below differ a little.
Step 3: Save everything
- Screenshots of the listing and the seller's profile
- Every message with the seller, including their phone number or username
- The payment record: card statement, payment app receipt, or bank transfer
- A photo of the phone showing the IMEI and any lock or owner message
- Where and when you met, and anything the seller said about the phone
If you ran a SafeOrStolen check before buying, it's saved to your account with the date. That record helps show you checked before you paid.
Step 4: Report it to the police
Call your local police non-emergency line or use their online report if they have one. Tell them you bought a phone you now believe is stolen, and give them the IMEI, the seller's details and your evidence. Ask for a report number. Reporting it yourself is the clearest way to show you were the buyer, not part of the theft.
Expect the phone to go back to its owner. The law generally doesn't let a thief pass ownership to anyone, so even a buyer who paid in good faith usually has to give it up.
Step 5: Try to get your money back
| How you paid | What to do |
|---|---|
| Credit card | Call the card issuer and dispute the charge. Give them the police report number. |
| PayPal Goods & Services, or a marketplace's own checkout | Open a dispute or claim through that service as soon as you can. Their time limits are strict. |
| Cash, Zelle, Venmo friends payments, Cash App | These usually can't be reversed. Your options are asking the seller, the police report, and small claims court if you can identify them. |
Also report the seller's account to the marketplace (Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, eBay, Craigslist) with the report number, so they can't keep selling.
Should you contact the seller?
A calm message asking for a refund is fine. Don't threaten them or meet them again. Many sellers of stolen phones delete their account once they're questioned, so save your screenshots before you send anything.
Next time
Get the IMEI before you meet, check it, and watch the seller erase the phone and remove their account before you pay. Our used phone checklist covers the whole meetup, and how to check if an iPhone is stolen covers Activation Lock.