Case registered against China's Vivo for running over 13500 smartphones with same IMEI

Meerut police has registered a case of fraud against Chinese smartphone manufacturers Vivo, for allegedly running around 13,500 phones in the country with the same IMEI number. International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique 15-digit code used to identify smartphones individually. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in 2017, had issued a notification directing all smartphones to have a unique IMEI, failure of which could result in jail period of three years. 

READ | Google Claims Chinese, Iranian Hackers Targeted Trump And Biden's Presidential Campaigns

The alleged fraud was uncovered after a police officer gave his mobile phone to the staff at cybercrime cell for examination, as the new phone was not working properly even after being repaired. Meerut SP Akhilesh N Singh while speaking to PTI, highlighted that it is a 'serious' security issue.

READ | Google Explains Reason Behind Taking Down 'Remove China Apps' And 'Mitron' From Play Store

He added that prima facie it appears to be negligence on part of the mobile phone company emphasizing that criminals could take advantage of the negligence by the manufacturers. The Meerut SP stated that a case has been registered under relevant sections of the law and a team of experts has been called to look into the matter. 

READ | Where Is The ISS Right Now? Track The Space Station In Real-time On Your Smartphone

READ | Popular Apps From China: 10 Apps Found On Almost Every Smartphone

(With PTI Inputs)