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EBay bidder asked for my ESN #, just replied to my e-mail asking why...

I

imported_Tomato

Diamond Member
I'm selling an extra cell phone on eBay, and an eBay member just e-mailed me asking for its "ESN#". I'm not quite sure what that is, so I looked it up online. In the midst of my search, I found a webpage about "cloning phones", with posts like this:

"I need step by step information on how to clone a nokia 5185i I don't care what the service is so some one please someone sind me any codes you have E-mail babygansta182003@yahoo.com Thx Baby gansta"

What does it mean to "clone a phone"?

EDIT: Thanks, ATOT. I won't be giving her my ESN number. I e-mailed the person asking why they wanted my ESN number, and she just replied with the following:

From: "Theresa Rodriguez" <tere784@hotmail.com>
To: Dezign
Subject: Re: Question for seller
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 13:52:23 -0800

I need the ESN# of the phone to find out if I will be able to activate
this phone in my area. The ESN# number can be found by removing the battery.
On the cell phone there will be about three different set of numbers just
give me all of the numbers.

Thank you.

I think I'm going to report her to eBay, if indeed she is "stealing" ESN numbers.
 
ESN= Electronic Serial Number.

The Tower can read the ESN from a cell phone and then knows who to bill. So if I know your ESN, and I program it into my phone, the tower thinks it is you who is making the call.
 
Older analog cellphones identified themselves to the cellular network by means of an "electronic serial number," or ESN.

A common scam was for a thief to get a specially made radio scanner and eavesdrop on cellphones talkign to the telco and grab the ESN from the airwaves.

The thief could then reprogram a phone with the stolen ESN, and make calls that would be billed to the original phone's phone bill. Thus the term "cloning" a cellphone.

You're not supposed to be able to change the ESN of your phone, but like all things, hackers have figured out how to do it for many makes/models.

I do not think that newer digital cellphones suffer the same weaknesses. Cellular providers lost lots and lots and lots of money to fraud through cloned analog cellphones.
 
Don't send it to them. There's no reason I can think of for them to need it for legitimate purposes. If they clone your phone you're going to have a major headache trying to clear that up.
 
Originally posted by: mugsywwiii
I would turn them in to eBay... they probably do this a lot.
Click to expand...

I looked up her bidding history, and apparently she's bid on a LOT of cell phones. Is there any way he/she is a legitimate buyer? At this point, I'm guessing there's NO legitimate reason for her to have the ESN#. Maybe I should e-mail her this thread?
 
She just wrote back:

From: "Theresa Rodriguez" <tere784@hotmail.com>
To: Dezign
Subject: Re: Question for seller -- Item #3065824137
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 13:52:23 -0800

I need the ESN# of the phone to find out if I will be able to activate
this phone in my area. The ESN# number can be found by removing the battery.
On the cell phone there will be about three different set of numbers just
give me all of the numbers.

Thank you.




 
Originally posted by: Dezign
She just wrote back:

From: "Theresa Rodriguez" <tere784@hotmail.com>
To: Dezign
Subject: Re: Question for seller -- Item #3065824137
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 13:52:23 -0800

I need the ESN# of the phone to find out if I will be able to activate
this phone in my area. The ESN# number can be found by removing the battery.
On the cell phone there will be about three different set of numbers just
give me all of the numbers.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

Wow if alarms haven't gone off for you yet...
Just reply back with one word - "No."
 
The ESN is connected to the phone itself, not your account. If the phone you're selling isn't active then the ESN won't matter much to the person.

At any rate she shouldn't need that information to find out if she can activate the phone in her area.
 
Originally posted by: Legendary
Originally posted by: Dezign
She just wrote back:

From: "Theresa Rodriguez" <tere784@hotmail.com>
To: Dezign
Subject: Re: Question for seller -- Item #3065824137
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 13:52:23 -0800

I need the ESN# of the phone to find out if I will be able to activate
this phone in my area. The ESN# number can be found by removing the battery.
On the cell phone there will be about three different set of numbers just
give me all of the numbers.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

Wow if alarms haven't gone off for you yet...
Just reply back with one word - "No."
Click to expand...

Any suggestions on how I should go about reporting her to eBay? I have both of her e-mails saved. Is there anything else I should ask her?
 
Actually do this, ask her where she is located and what company she wants to use with this cell. Then tell her yep it works there.


dam(
 
I dunno... I wouldn't be comfortable with giving it. Is it currently active? If not, then they'd clone a phone that doesn't have service? Maybe you can offer to call the cell company for her and check it.
 
Originally posted by: labgeek
I dunno... I wouldn't be comfortable with giving it. Is it currently active? If not, then they'd clone a phone that doesn't have service? Maybe you can offer to call the cell company for her and check it.
Click to expand...

It's active right now. It'll be cancelled within a week, though... I'm switching from Sprint to Cingular.
 
Originally posted by: Dezign

Any suggestions on how I should go about reporting her to eBay? I have both of her e-mails saved. Is there anything else I should ask her?
Click to expand...

see my post.... asking for an esn doesn't mean she wants to clone it.
 
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