London Phone Theft Crackdown: How to Check If a Phone Is Stolen in the UK Before You Buy

To check if a phone is stolen in the UK, get its IMEI number by dialling *#06#, run it through a blacklist check to see whether it’s been reported lost or stolen, and confirm the phone isn’t still locked to someone else’s Apple or Google account before you hand over any money. Those three checks take a few minutes and matter more than ever in London, where the Metropolitan Police has just made more than 700 arrests in a phone theft crackdown and hundreds of suspected stolen phones have been seized.

This guide covers what the crackdown found, the latest London phone theft figures, what the new Crime and Policing Act 2026 does and doesn’t change, why stolen phones end up on the second-hand market, a step-by-step stolen phone check for buyers, and what to do if your own phone is taken.

What happened in the Met Police phone theft crackdown?

According to ITV News on 8 October 2026, the Metropolitan Police, the UK’s biggest police force, made more than 700 arrests and seized hundreds of suspected stolen phones during an operation in September 2026.

The coverage also highlighted how thieves recruit. Snapchat adverts reportedly offered children up to £380 for each stolen iPhone, showing how organised the trade behind street snatches has become.

Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has urged phone makers to go further and make stolen handsets “unusable bricks”, so a stolen phone has no resale value. That isn’t the case yet, which is why buyers still need to do their own checks.

London phone theft statistics: is it getting better?

The Met’s figures for phone theft and robbery offences show a real fall, though the numbers are still very high.

Even at the lower 2026 rate, that’s roughly 5,000 offences a month in London alone, based on the January–August total.

How many stolen phones are recovered?

Very few. According to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request, 587,498 phones were reported stolen in London between 2017 and 27 February 2024, and only 13,998 were recovered. That’s a recovery rate of about 2.4%.

The low recovery rate is the key point for buyers: most stolen phones don’t go back to their owners. They’re resold, broken for parts or shipped abroad, and some of them end up in listings on marketplace apps and in small shops.

What does the Crime and Policing Act 2026 do?

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. For phone theft, its most talked-about measure is a new police power.

In short, the law helps police respond to tracking data, but it doesn’t make stolen phones worthless. A buyer can still be handed a stolen handset that looks completely normal.

Why stolen phones flood the second-hand market

• High value, easy to move. A recent iPhone or Galaxy is worth hundreds of pounds even second-hand, and it fits in a pocket.
• Parts are valuable. Even a phone locked to its owner’s account can be stripped for screens, cameras and batteries.
• Blocks are national, not global. UK networks block IMEIs reported stolen, and the GSMA device registry shares those reports. But a phone that’s sent abroad may still work in countries that don’t check those lists.
• Buyers don’t check. Many people buying through marketplace apps or from strangers never run the IMEI, so a stolen phone can sell quickly before it’s reported or before the buyer notices.

If you buy a stolen phone, even unknowingly, it can be blocked on UK networks, seized by police and returned to its owner, and you’re likely to lose your money. Our guide on what a blacklisted IMEI means explains what happens when a block is applied.

How to check if a phone is stolen in the UK: step by step

Do these checks before you pay, ideally with the phone in your hand.

Step 1: Get the IMEI

• Dial *#06# on the phone. The IMEI appears on screen (dual-SIM phones show two).
• Compare it with the IMEI in Settings › General › About on iPhone or Settings › About phone on Android, and with the box if there is one.
• If the seller won’t let you see the IMEI, walk away.

Need help finding it? See how to find your IMEI number.

Step 2: Run a blacklist check

A GSMA blacklist check shows whether the IMEI has been reported lost or stolen to networks. A “clean” result is a good sign, though a phone stolen very recently may not have been reported yet, so don’t skip the other steps.

Step 3: Check the model, storage and Find My status

Thieves sometimes swap boxes or list the wrong model. A model, colour, storage and Find My check confirms the phone matches the listing and shows whether Find My is still switched on. An All-in-one basic info check gives you the core details in one report.

Step 4: Make sure it isn’t locked to someone else’s account

• iPhone: go to Settings and tap the name at the top. It should be signed out. If Find My is on and the seller can’t sign out with their password in front of you, don’t buy it. See Activation Lock explained.
• Android: ask the seller to remove their Google account and factory reset the phone in front of you. When you set it up, it shouldn’t ask for a previous owner’s account.

Step 5: Check the network lock

A carrier and SIM-lock check shows whether the phone is tied to a specific network. It doesn’t prove whether a phone is stolen, but a mismatch with what the seller told you is a red flag. Test it with your own SIM if you can.

Step 6: Ask for proof of purchase

Ask for the original receipt, the box with a matching IMEI, or the contract paperwork. A genuine owner usually has at least one. Be cautious if the seller has no paperwork, several identical phones, or a story that keeps changing.

Step 7: Meet safely and pay safely

• Meet in a busy public place with CCTV, such as a shopping centre. Some police stations offer safe trading spots.
• Don’t hand over cash before you’ve completed the checks.
• Pay in a way that leaves a record and gives you protection where possible. Avoid bank transfers to strangers.
• Get the seller’s name and contact details and keep the messages.

Our full stolen phone check guide goes into each step in more detail.

Red flags when buying a used phone in London

What to do if your phone is stolen in the UK

Move quickly. The first hour matters most for protecting your accounts.

1. Lock it remotely and mark it as lost. On iPhone, use Find My at icloud.com/find or on another Apple device and turn on Lost Mode (Mark As Lost). On Android, use Google’s Find Hub (formerly Find My Device) or Samsung’s SmartThings Find to lock the phone. Don’t erase it yet unless you’re sure it won’t be recovered, because erasing can stop you tracking it.
2. Report it to the police. Call 101 or report online, and get a crime reference number. Call 999 if you’re in danger or the theft is happening now. If tracking shows where the phone is, give that to the police rather than going there yourself.
3. Call your network to block the SIM and IMEI. UK networks can block the IMEI so the phone won’t work on UK networks. Ask for a replacement SIM. Our guide on how to report a stolen phone and block the IMEI explains the process.
4. Secure your accounts. Change your Apple Account or Google account password, your email, and your banking app passwords from another device. Call your bank if banking apps were on the phone.
5. Report fraud to Action Fraud. If the thief uses your phone to access your money or accounts, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 as well as your bank.
6. Tell your insurer if the phone is insured, using your crime reference number.
7. Forward any scam texts you get afterwards (such as fake “your phone has been found” messages trying to steal your password) to 7726.

Protect your phone before it’s stolen

iPhone: turn on Stolen Device Protection

Go to Settings › Face ID & Passcode › Stolen Device Protection and turn it on. When your iPhone is away from familiar places, it requires Face ID or Touch ID (not just your passcode) for sensitive actions such as changing your Apple Account password, and adds a security delay to some changes. That makes it much harder for a thief who has watched you type your passcode.

Android: turn on Theft Protection

On supported Android phones, go to Settings › Google › All services › Theft protection (the exact path varies by phone). Turn on Theft Detection Lock, which locks the screen if it detects a snatch-and-run motion, and Offline Device Lock. Make sure Find Hub is on, and on Samsung phones also check SmartThings Find.

Simple street habits

• Step away from the kerb when using your phone, as many London thefts involve thieves on bikes or e-bikes.
• Use a strong passcode rather than a short PIN, and cover the screen when entering it in public.
• Write down your IMEI now and keep it somewhere other than the phone.

The bottom line

The Met’s crackdown and falling theft numbers are good news, but tens of thousands of phones are still stolen in London each year and only a small fraction are recovered. Before you buy second-hand, check the phone isn’t stolen: get the IMEI with *#06#, run a blacklist check, confirm the model and Find My status, make sure no previous account is attached, and meet somewhere safe. If your own phone is taken, lock it, report it to police, get your network to block the IMEI and secure your accounts straight away.