How to Report a Stolen Phone and Block It in the UK: IMEI, Your Network and Action Fraud

Losing a phone to theft is stressful, and the first hour matters more than most people realise. A stolen phone is not just a device. It holds your photos, your messages, your banking apps, and a route into your email. Acting quickly can stop the thief from using it, protect your accounts, and improve your chances of an insurance claim. This guide walks through exactly what to do in the UK, in the right order.

Start by staying safe. If the theft involved a threat or violence, do not chase the person or try to recover the phone yourself. Get to a safe place first, then work through the steps below from another phone or a computer.

Step 1: Lock or erase the phone remotely if you can

If you set up Find My on an iPhone or Find Hub on Android before the theft, you can lock the device remotely and, if needed, erase it. On iPhone, sign in to iCloud Find Devices, choose the phone, and mark it as lost. That locks it with your passcode and suspends payment cards in Apple Pay. On Android, use Find Hub on the web, choose the device, and secure it or erase it if you believe recovery is unlikely.

Do this as soon as you can, but do not delay reporting the theft to your network while you search for the right web page. Remote locking helps, yet a thief can still remove the SIM and use it in another phone. That is why the network step matters just as much.

Step 2: Contact your mobile network and ask them to block the phone

Call your network from another phone and tell them the handset has been stolen. Ask them to do two separate things: suspend or block the SIM, and block the handset itself using its IMEI number. The IMEI is a unique 15-digit identifier for your phone. Blocking it means the phone cannot connect to UK mobile networks even with a different SIM inside.

You can find your IMEI in a few places. Check the original box, your network account, or a past purchase receipt. On iPhone, it may also be listed in your Apple account device list. On Android, it may appear in your Google account device details. If you cannot find it, your network can often look it up from your account history, so still call them straight away.

Ask the network to confirm in writing that the SIM and the handset have been blocked, and note the date, time, and name of the person you spoke to. That record helps with an insurance claim. Also ask about any charges made after the theft. Networks have their own policies, and reporting quickly usually limits what you can be held responsible for, so keep that confirmation safe.

Step 3: Report the theft to the police and Action Fraud

Report the theft to the police, either by calling 101 for a non-emergency report or through your local force’s online reporting service. If the theft is happening now, or you feel unsafe, call 999. Give the police the make, model, colour, IMEI number, and the time and place of the theft. Ask for a crime reference number, because insurers almost always ask for one.

You should also report the fraud risk to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. Even if no money has been taken yet, a report creates a record and helps Action Fraud spot patterns. You can report online or by phone, and you will receive a reference number to keep with your police report.

Step 4: Protect your accounts, starting with email

Your email account is the key to many other accounts, because password resets often go there. Change your email password from a trusted device, and check that recovery details have not been changed. Then work through your most sensitive accounts: banking apps, payment services, shopping accounts with saved cards, and social media.

Sign out of sessions remotely where you can, freeze cards in your bank app, and change passwords for accounts that were signed in on the phone. Turn on two-factor authentication where it is not already on, using an authenticator app where possible rather than text codes alone, since the thief may have your SIM.

Step 5: Tell your bank and check for unusual activity

Contact your bank even if you do not think anything has been taken. Ask them to watch the account, freeze cards if needed, and confirm whether any payments were made after the theft. Check recent transactions carefully over the next few days, not just on the first day. Some fraud attempts happen later, once a thief has had time to try passwords or use saved details.

Step 6: Prepare your insurance claim and your replacement

If you have phone insurance, either through your network, your bank, or a separate policy, start the claim promptly. Insurers usually ask for the police crime reference number, the IMEI, proof of purchase, and confirmation from your network that the handset was blocked. Some policies have a short window for reporting, so do not wait until you have bought a replacement to begin.

When you get a new phone, set it up securely from the start: a strong passcode, automatic locking, Find My or Find Hub, and two-factor authentication for your main accounts. Write down the new phone’s IMEI somewhere safe, away from the phone itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an IMEI number and why does blocking it help?

An IMEI is a unique number that identifies your individual handset. When your network blocks it, the phone cannot connect to UK mobile networks, even if someone inserts a different SIM. That makes the stolen phone far less useful and harder to sell on.

Should I report a stolen phone to the police or Action Fraud first?

Report to the police first to get a crime reference number, then report to Action Fraud as well. The police report covers the theft itself, while Action Fraud records the fraud and cybercrime risk, and both references help with insurance and bank disputes.

Can I still get my photos back after a stolen phone is erased?

You can recover photos only if they were backed up before the theft, for example to iCloud or Google Photos. Remote erasing protects your data, but it also removes anything stored only on the phone, which is why automatic backup is worth switching on before anything goes wrong.