She bought a used phone and was arrested. Here is how to avoid that

A woman bought a used Samsung foldable phone and ended up under arrest. Police traced the phone to a woman who had been killed. She was released after she showed her receipt and her chats with the seller. She still has to attend court.

What happened

The story comes from a writer at Android Police, whose sister's friend was the buyer. After the arrest, the buyer showed officers her receipt and messages, then led them to the person who sold her the phone. The writer says the case changed how she handles secondhand deals.

Check the ID number

Every phone has a 15-digit code called an IMEI. Carriers see it whenever a phone connects, and they can block it if the phone is reported stolen. Police can also request records to trace where a phone has been used.

• Dial *#06# or open Settings, then About phone, to see the number.
• Compare it with the box, the SIM tray and the receipt.
• Run it through the free CTIA Stolen Phone Checker, Swappa's free check, or ask your carrier.

A mismatch is a warning sign. One exception is a phone with a replaced motherboard, which gets a new number. The seller should have repair paperwork showing the old and new numbers. A blocklist only shows phones someone has reported, and reports can take days to appear.

Test it with your SIM

A blocked phone shows "No service" even with a working SIM. Insert your SIM, restart the phone, and wait a minute or two. Then try a call, a text and mobile data with Wi-Fi off. Toggle Airplane mode on and off to force a fresh check.

Some carriers apply blocks in batches, so a stolen phone can pass on the spot and lose service days later. Buy from a seller that accepts returns, and pay with a traceable method instead of cash.

Look for hidden locks

Some phones and computers stay tied to a previous owner or a company, even after a reset. Google's Factory Reset Protection asks for the old owner's account. Business management systems can bring their settings back once the device goes online.

Ask the seller to sign out of all accounts and factory reset the phone in front of you. Then set it up with your own account. Search Settings for terms like "device admin" or "Remote Management."

Keep your records

Save the receipt and every chat with the seller. The chats show who you dealt with, how you paid and when. That is the kind of proof that helped the buyer in this case. Avoid deleting those messages, and be careful when a seller uses disappearing messages.