03-22-2012 08:18:28 AM
I watched an article on TV this morning about smart phone thefts. People are getting beaten for their phones. Thieves turn around and sell these phones. Then providers reissue numbers to whoever buys these stolen phones. When a spokesperson for AT&T was interviewed he hemmed and hawed about why his company would participate in this crime. England banned reissuing numbers for a decade. Australia has banned as well. Why is our great country dragging our feet on this. Why is AT&T not being proactive in this manner. If the demand for stolen phones is absent, then people would stop getting hurt. Come on AT&T be the first, be pro active! Protect your customers. I have my 93 year old father, three daughters, myself, and my husband using these phones. Keep them safe!
03-22-2012 08:55:34 AM
I understand where your coming from, but to be honest thats what your local police department is for. I do agree though that stolen phones should not be allowed to be reactivated, but that's not going to stop crime either way.
03-22-2012 09:42:38 AM
While we all sympathize with the plight of people whose phones are stolen, a little perspective is in order. England has 1/6 the population of the US, and Australia has fewer than half England's population. Additionally, the IMEI blacklist would need to be coordinated across ALL GSM carriers, or else someone could unlock and use a stolen AT&T phone on a different GSM carrier.
The bottom line is this - a blacklist isn't going to happen unless it's coordinated with a law enforcement agency and mandated by Congress or federal regulators. The Metropolitan Police Department in England handles the administration of their blacklist, if I'm not mistaken.
