Phone Lost or Stolen in India: What to Do in the First Hour

Protect your money and accounts first, then the handset. Here's the order that works, what the CEIR block needs, and how often phones actually come back.

By the OwnVouch team16 Sep 20267 min read

Why the order matters

A stolen phone is two problems at once. The handset is worth money to the thief, but your SIM, UPI apps and email are often worth more. Police in Ludhiana warned in October 2025 that stolen phones were being used to move money through UPI to shopkeepers' accounts, according to The Tribune. So protect your money and accounts first, then deal with the device.

There is also a practical dependency: the government's CEIR blocking form sends a one-time password to the lost number, so you need your replacement SIM before you can finish that step.

The first-hour checklist

1. Lock the phone remotely. Use another device.
2. Block the SIM and request a replacement from your operator.
3. Suspend UPI and banking access by calling your bank and payment apps.
4. Change passwords for your Apple Account or Google Account and email.
5. File a police complaint and note the complaint number.
6. Block the handset on CEIR and keep the request ID safe.
7. Tell your insurer if the phone is covered.

1. Lock the phone, but don't wipe it yet

iPhone

Sign in at iCloud.com/find or open Find My on another Apple device and mark the phone as lost. Apple's guidance says Lost Mode locks the device with your passcode, and Apple Pay cards are suspended. Apple also advises you not to remove the iPhone from Find My or your Apple Account. Removing it switches off Activation Lock, the protection that makes a stolen iPhone hard to resell.

If you add a message to the lock screen, the Swiss National Cyber Security Centre suggests using a contact that isn't tied to your Apple Account. Thieves have used those details to send fake "we found your iPhone" messages. Our guide to "found your iPhone" scam messages explains how that scam works.

Android

Go to android.com/find or open the Find Hub app (previously called Find My Device). You can ring the phone, lock it, or erase it. Google notes that the phone needs power, an internet connection and a signed-in Google Account for this to work. It also warns that after an erase, the phone no longer shows up in Find Hub. So lock it first, and erase it only once you have given up on locating it.

2. Block the SIM and get a replacement

Call your operator or visit a store with ID and ask them to block the lost SIM and issue a replacement on the same number. This stops anyone receiving your OTPs and bank alerts. It also gives you the number you'll need for the CEIR form.

Expect a short delay on messages. In November 2022 the Department of Telecommunications told operators to bar incoming and outgoing SMS for 24 hours on a new or swapped SIM, according to tele.net. OTPs to your new SIM may not arrive until that window has passed.

3. Protect your money

• Call your bank and ask them to temporarily block UPI, mobile banking and any cards saved on the phone.
• Contact each payment app. PhonePe, for example, says you can report a stolen phone and ask for account suspension by calling 80-68727374 or 022-68727374, or through its support form. For other apps, use the numbers on the app's official website.
• If money has already gone, call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or report it at cybercrime.gov.in, which has a separate category for financial fraud. Reporting quickly gives the bank the best chance to act.

4. Change your passwords

Change your Apple Account or Google Account password from another device, then change your main email password. Apple also recommends checking which devices are signed in to your account. If you reused a password elsewhere, change it there as well. Don't share verification codes with anyone who contacts you about the phone.

5. File a police complaint

You need a police complaint number and a copy of the complaint for the CEIR block, and usually an FIR for an insurance claim. Many states run online services. Delhi Police, for example, offers a Lost Report and a separate Theft e-FIR. Karnataka State Police runs e-Lost Report, which is meant for lost articles. What you file depends on what happened, and the difference matters. See FIR vs lost report for a stolen phone.

Describe events accurately. If the phone was snatched, say so. If you're not sure whether it was stolen or dropped, say that too.

6. Block the handset on Sanchar Saathi (CEIR)

CEIR, the Central Equipment Identity Register, blocks a handset's IMEI across all Indian networks. According to the official CEIR user manual, you'll need:

• the replacement SIM on your lost number, for OTP verification
• the police complaint (FIR or lost report) number and a copy to upload
• identity proof
• the purchase invoice, which is optional

The form, at sancharsaathi.gov.in or in the Sanchar Saathi app, asks for the lost number, IMEI, brand, model, and the place, date and police station. If you don't know the IMEI, it's usually on the box and the invoice. Our guide to finding a serial number or IMEI covers the other places to look.

Once you submit, the portal generates an 18-digit request ID. The manual's example confirmation says the device will be blocked within 24 hours. Save that ID. You'll need it to check the status and to unblock the phone later. If you lose it, the portal's "Forgot Request ID" option can retrieve it using the mobile number you entered. According to the manual, if someone uses the blocked phone with any SIM, their details are recorded and shared with the police for tracing.

If you get the phone back

Don't forget to unblock it. On the same portal choose "Un-Block Found Mobile" and enter the request ID, the mobile number used for the block, and a reason. Then verify the OTP. The manual says the request is passed to the operators, and the phone works again once they lift the block. If the phone was erased or locked, sign in with your own Apple or Google account to use it.

Do phones actually get recovered?

Many do, though far from all. These are the published figures, with dates and who reported them:

Compare the traced and returned figures. Blocking makes a phone far less useful to a thief, but you shouldn't count on getting yours back.

7. Tell your insurer

If the phone is insured, report the theft within the policy's deadline. Theft claims usually need an FIR, the IMEI and proof of purchase, according to Outlook Money. Some policies exclude pickpocketing or misplacement, so read yours. Apple also advises keeping the iPhone in your account until any claim is fully approved.

Where OwnVouch fits

OwnVouch doesn't block phones on mobile networks and can't track or recover a device. CEIR and the police do that. What OwnVouch adds is a record. If your device is registered, Lost mode flags its serial, so anyone who runs a free public lookup before buying sees it reported lost or stolen. The lookup never shows who you are. The Claim packet exports the paperwork insurers usually ask for in one file. It can't guarantee the claim is approved. The app is in closed beta. You can request a place and register your devices before anything goes missing.

Sources

1. C-DOT / DoT: CEIR User Manual for Mobile User, Version 03
2. Sanchar Saathi: CEIR services (block, unblock, request status)
3. Apple Support: If your iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen
4. Google: Find, lock or erase a lost Android device
5. Swiss National Cyber Security Centre: Week 44, Lost iPhone and the phishing trap that follows
6. tele.net: DoT asks telecom operators to prohibit SMS services on new SIM cards for 24 hours
7. PhonePe: Lost your phone? What you need to do to safeguard your savings
8. The Tribune: Stolen phones being used to siphon off money via UPI
9. All India Radio News: Sanchar Saathi helps recover over 6 lakh lost and stolen phones
10. ETV Bharat: Sanchar Saathi blocks over 42 lakh stolen or lost mobile devices
11. tele.net: Sanchar Saathi records recovery of over 75,000 handsets in a single month
12. Outlook Money: Mobile theft insurance, what's covered and what's not