How to Check if Your iPhone is Blacklisted or Reported Missing

It’s bad enough that getting a brand-new phone at Computer Village in Lagos is no longer as trustworthy or safe as it once was. These days, people hand over hundreds of thousands of naira for an iPhone to get home and discover they’ve been sold a counterfeit product. To make matters worse, the problem has now extended beyond fake devices. Even reputable phone shops that claim to sell original iPhones have been caught selling devices that are blacklisted and reported missing by Apple.

This situation isn’t just about buying a dodgy “London used” phone anymore, as it can happen with so-called “brand-new” phones.

Take, for example, the case of a man whose wife bought an iPhone at a seemingly big Apple store in Lekki. Everything looked fine until she tried to swap the phone at a store in London. The attendant scanned the device, only to reveal that it had been reported as stolen or missing. Imagine the shock: the phone wasn’t second-hand, it was bought “brand-new” from a store she trusted.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated case. In Nigeria, it’s very common to buy second-hand or “UK-used” phones, and while there’s nothing wrong with that in itself, the risk of unknowingly buying a blacklisted iPhone is high. A blacklisted iPhone might look and work like the real deal, but the moment you try to use certain features, swap it abroad, or resell it, you’ll soon realise you’ve been scammed.

To protect yourself, here’s why using a stolen phone checker is important, and how you can check before handing over your money.

A stolen phone checker helps you confirm whether an iPhone has been blacklisted, reported missing, or flagged by Apple. Think of it like running a background check on your device. The main reasons this is important are:

1. Avoid wasting money – Imagine spending ₦700,000 on an iPhone 13 Pro Max only to discover it has been blacklisted. You can’t resell it legitimately, you can’t swap it abroad, and sometimes it may stop working properly. That’s money down the drain.

2. Peace of mind – With a stolen phone checker, you’re not doing guesswork with your money. You’ll know if your device is clean and safe to use.

3. Stay out of trouble – Using a blacklisted phone can put you in sticky situations. In some countries, possessing a stolen device can lead to police questioning.

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The good news is that you don’t need to be a tech wizard to check. Here are a few easy methods:

Every iPhone has a unique 15-digit code called the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). This is like the phone’s fingerprint. You can find it by:

• Dialling *#06# on the phone.

• Go to Settings > General > About and scroll to IMEI.

Once you have the IMEI, you can run it through an online IMEI checker. There are websites like IMEI.info or Apple’s coverage checker that tell you if the phone has been blacklisted.

Apple has a feature called Activation Lock, which kicks in when someone enables Find My iPhone. If the phone is reported lost or stolen, it will appear here. Go to iCloud.com, log in, and check the status.

READ ALSO: 5 Android Phones That Go Head-to-Head With the iPhone 15 Pro Max

If you’re buying locally, you can ask the intended network provider to check if the IMEI is clean before you insert your SIM. Some carriers will flag the device immediately if it has issues. 

There are also specialised services that run checks against international blacklist databases. While some may charge a small fee, it’s worth it compared to losing hundreds of thousands of naira.

Some popular ones include: 

• GSMA IMEI Database – GSMA is the official global database used by network providers worldwide to report stolen or lost phones. Many third-party checkers pull data from here. 

• Swappa IMEI Check – Swappa is trusted as it uses the GSMA database to confirm if a phone is clean before resale. You can check for your device’s authenticity, detect carrier activation issues, and even bulk check up to a hundred numbers at a time.

If you’re buying a phone in Nigeria, another smart move is to stick with more reputable retailers such as Slot, Pointek, 3C Hub, or Select Gadgets. While they might not always be the cheapest compared to that “brother’s plug” in Computer Village, the peace of mind they'll give you is worth the extra naira. 

These stores are authorised dealers and more likely to give you a proper warranty and receipts you can fall back on if something goes wrong. You may spend a little more upfront, but you’re far less likely to walk away with a phone that’s been blacklisted or flagged as stolen.

Whether you’re buying an iPhone “brand-new” or second-hand, never assume the seller’s word is enough. With counterfeit devices, shady resellers, and even big-name shops sometimes selling questionable stock, you have to protect yourself.

Always run an IMEI or stolen phone check before you pay. It takes less than five minutes but could save you from months of frustration, or worse, losing all your hard-earned money. If you’re about to buy an iPhone today, do the smart thing: check it before you pay.