Hyderabad Phone Repair Shops Under Scanner for Unlocking Stolen Devices

Mobile phone repair shops across Hyderabad are under scrutiny after cybercrime officials raised alarm over the widespread practice of unlocking devices without verifying customer identities or ownership, raising serious concerns that stolen phones are being put back into circulation.
Sources say several repair shops, motivated by quick earnings, are unlocking phones, removing screen patterns and bypassing security features without asking customers to produce an Aadhaar card, purchase bill or original gadget box. Technicians are reportedly charging between Rs. 500 and Rs. 700 for standard unlocking services.
Of particular concern is the growing number of individuals involved in property offences approaching mobile markets to get locked devices opened. In several cases, phones allegedly taken from others have been brought directly to shops for unlocking. When police trace such devices and contact shop owners, technicians either hand over customer details or claim they had no knowledge of the gadget's ownership.
Sources further revealed that some individuals are approaching technicians with advanced skills to tamper with IMEI numbers on such devices. The International Mobile Equipment Identity number is a unique identifier that police use to track phones. Changing it reportedly costs between Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 3,500, and makes it significantly harder for law enforcement to locate a missing handset.
Cybercrime officials have repeatedly advised repair technicians to verify customer identity before offering unlocking or repair services. Shops have also been instructed to check the IMEI number through the Central Equipment Identity Register, or CEIR, portal to confirm whether a device has been reported lost or taken.
Established repair centres typically collect government-issued identification, prepare service job sheets and ask for purchase invoices or original packaging before carrying out major procedures such as factory reset bypasses or account unlocking.
Officials have now issued a firm warning: technicians who knowingly help criminals access such devices could face legal action. If an investigation establishes that offenders repeatedly had phones unlocked at a particular shop, both the shop owner and the technician could be booked for supporting and encouraging criminal activities.