iPhone Users Sue AT&T For Letting Thieves Re-Activate Their Stolen Devices

An anonymous reader writes "Following on the heels of the FCC and U.S. mobile carriers finally announcing plans to create a national database for stolen phones, a group of iPhone users filed a class action lawsuit against AT&T on Tuesday claiming that it has aided and abetted cell phone thieves by refusing to brick stolen cell phones. AT&T has '[made] millions of dollars in improper profits, by forcing legitimate customers, such as these Plaintiffs, to buy new cell phones, and buy new cell phone plans, while the criminals who stole the phone are able to simply walk into AT&T stories and 're-activate' the devices, using different, cheap, readily-available 'SIM' cards,' states their complaint. AT&T, of course, says the suit is 'meritless.'"

Disabled IMSI search

[doston]

When I worked at AT&T as a systems engineer in SMS a few years back, we and anybody in customer care were able to perform a search by IMSI (sort of like a MAC address for cell phones). One day the IMSI search feature was suddenly yanked. Thought it was a bit strange, because one time I was able to use the IMSI search to find the new MSISDN (phone #) for a friend who'd lost his phone and it helped him recover it. Makes me wonder if AT&T just didn't want to be involved in stolen iPhonery, or if they yanked the search feature because the profits from the process (noted in the story headline) were just too tantalizing.

Re:Disabled IMSI search

[icebike]

I seriously doubt you worked as a system engineer if you don't know the difference between an IMSI and and IMEI.

IMSI [wikipedia.org] = International Mobile Subscriber Identity, allows you to find out information about the account hold. Its on the sim. It allows you to violate people's privacy, which is why Joe Tech should not be able to look this up, not without a warrant.

IMEI [wikipedia.org] = International Mobile Equipment Identity, a unique number built into the hardware. It can be used to block service to the device. That will bring the user in to complain. No warrant needed.

Re:Only if they reported it.

[AngryDeuce]

I fail to see how these companies could validate with 100% certainty that the device reported stolen actually belong to the owners that claimed to own them.

It's called a police report. It's good enough for the company insuring the phone against theft, so why would it not be enough for AT&T to cut the service?

If the police report is fraudulent, well, there are already legal mechanisms in place to deal with that. The point is, obviously they could do something, they just choose not to because it benefits them financially.

Re:Only if they reported it.

[gstrickler]

The carrier probably has it in their phone records for that account. The IMEI is part of how a device identifies itself to the network. It's used to prevent using stolen phones in many other countries.

Re:Disabled IMSI search

[doston]

I seriously doubt you worked as a system engineer if you don't know the difference between an IMSI and and IMEI.

IMSI [wikipedia.org] = International Mobile Subscriber Identity, allows you to find out information about the account hold. Its on the sim. It allows you to violate people's privacy, which is why Joe Tech should not be able to look this up, not without a warrant.

IMEI [wikipedia.org] = International Mobile Equipment Identity, a unique number built into the hardware. It can be used to block service to the device. That will bring the user in to complain. No warrant needed.

It was IMEI, you're right. I'm not as much into cell phones..unix, linux, and the actual messaging systems in the background (SMTP email schleping). Was just a tool I had access to. My actual title was Engineer IV. I reported to Kevin Tromp, still the director of Messaging. Yes, I did work there. ;-)

Re:Only if they reported it.

[geekoid]

I'll wager the are using the term brick in modern usages, and not archaic usage(5 years ago)

Making rendering it unable to make calls or connect.

Disable would have been a better term for them to use.

I know I know, we have are precise language, and then non nerds get a hold of it and butcher it to the point where hacking is using a facebook account that someone didn't log off from.