Emergency · works offline
Phone kho gaya? Do these, in this order
The first 15 minutes matter most: stop the SIM and your money apps before anyone can use them. Tick each step; the clock shows how long since you started.
Last updated: Reviewed by IndiaDigital editorsSources
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First 15 minutes
Call your number from another phone. On a computer or another phone, open Google Find My Device (Android) or Find My on iCloud (iPhone) to ring, lock or erase it and see where it was last. Do not go alone to a location; tell the police.
Call your operator’s customer care from another phone, or visit its store with ID, and block the SIM. This stops OTPs reaching whoever has the phone. Ask for a duplicate SIM: you need it for bank OTPs and to block the phone on Sanchar Saathi.
Call your bank’s helpline (number on its website or the back of your card) and ask them to block UPI and mobile banking on the lost phone. Do the same with each UPI or wallet app’s support. Under RBI rules, reporting an unauthorised transaction within 3 working days protects you from loss in third-party fraud.
If any money has left your account, call the cyber fraud helpline 1930 at once and then report on cybercrime.gov.in. The sooner you call, the better the chance it is held.
Within the hour
File a lost or stolen phone report at the police station or your state police’s online lost-article service. Keep the copy and its number: Sanchar Saathi and the insurer will ask for it.
With the police report copy, an ID proof, the IMEI (on the box or bill) and the duplicate SIM for the OTP, fill "Block your lost or stolen mobile" on Sanchar Saathi or its app. Note the Request ID. A blocked phone stops working on Indian networks.
Today
From another device, change the password of your Google or Apple account and email first, then remove the lost phone from "your devices". Then social media and shopping apps.
Set up WhatsApp with the duplicate SIM on another phone; that logs the lost phone out. Tell family and friends: "My phone is lost. Ignore any money request from my number."
On Sanchar Saathi, "Know mobile connections in your name" lists every number issued on your ID. Report any you do not use.
Later
Tell the police first, then use "Unblock found mobile" on Sanchar Saathi with the Request ID. If the police blocked it, the police unblock it.
If the phone was insured, claim with the police report and bill within the insurer’s time limit.
On the new phone: dial *#06# and write the IMEI on your emergency card, turn on Find My Device, set a SIM PIN and an app lock on UPI apps.
How it works
- Steps are in the order that limits damage: SIM and money first, then police and Sanchar Saathi, then accounts.
- This page works without internet once you have opened it or saved the emergency pack, so a borrowed phone can use it anywhere.
- Your ticks stay only in this browser. On someone else’s phone, tap "Clear" when you are done.
- We link to official services (Sanchar Saathi, cybercrime.gov.in). We never ask for your number, IMEI or any password.
Questions people ask
Do I need a police report to block my phone?
Yes. Sanchar Saathi asks for the police complaint copy along with an ID proof and the IMEI. You also need the duplicate SIM of your lost number, because the OTP is sent to it.
Where do I find my IMEI if the phone is gone?
On the phone’s box, the purchase bill, or for Android in your Google account’s device list. Write it down on your next phone by dialling *#06#.
Will blocking stop someone using my UPI?
Blocking the IMEI stops the phone working on mobile networks, but not on Wi-Fi. That is why you must also block the SIM and ask your bank and UPI apps to block UPI and mobile banking.
What if someone already took money?
Call 1930 immediately and report on cybercrime.gov.in, then tell your bank in writing. Under RBI rules, reporting an unauthorised transaction within 3 working days protects you from loss in third-party fraud.
Sources
Last checked:
- Department of Telecommunications: Sanchar Saathi (CEIR block and unblock, Know mobile connections in your name)
- National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and helpline 1930
- RBI: limiting customer liability in unauthorised electronic banking transactions (2017) New RBI directions start 1 January 2027.
- RBI press release, 24 June 2026: revised directions on customer liability for fraudulent transactions
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