There have been reports of fake IMEI numbers or even duplicate IMEI numbers found in mobile phones. In 2020, the Uttar Pradesh Police had found that 13,500 Vivo smartphones in Meerut had the same IMEI numbers, Hindustan Times business website Livemint reported. According to the norms, all the mobile phones being sold in India should have unique IMEI numbers. This rule applies to imported mobile phones of brands including Apple and Samsung.

In simple words, IMEI number is a unique number which is used to identify GSM, WCDMA and iDEN mobile phones. Every mobile phone has a unique number, but there are two IMEI numbers in case of dual SIM mobile phones. It is easier to track the phones using the IMEI numbers if they are stolen.

The IMEI number can also be used to check if the mobile phone is genuine or fake. If a mobile phone does not have this number, that means it is fake. The users can check their phone’s IMEI number before buying it by dialling #06# from their phone.