NEIR exposes widespread clone and fake IMEI phones

NEIR has identified numerous irregular IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) patterns, including "1111111111111", "0000000000000" and "9999999999999", operating across the country, said a press release of Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology today.

The disclosure follows the January 1 rollout of the long-anticipated NEIR system by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), aimed at curbing the use of clone and counterfeit mobile devices.

The release, however, said that these IMEI numbers are not being blocked immediately. Instead, they are being marked as "grey" to prevent disruption to public life, as the interim government has opted against sudden measures that could inconvenience users.

IMEI is a unique identification number assigned to every mobile phone and SIM-enabled device. An IMEI usually consists of 15 digits and works like a fingerprint for a handset, allowing mobile networks and authorities to identify a device separately from the SIM card being used.

According to the findings, millions of people in Bangladesh are using low-quality counterfeit handsets that have never undergone mandatory safety checks, including radiation and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) testing. These devices are active across the networks of all four mobile operators and are widely spread throughout the country.

According to the release, data from the last 10 years showed that a single IMEI number, "99999999999999", has been linked to a total of 3,91,22,534 connections through different combinations of document ID, MSISDN and IMEI. 

Experts noted that such IMEI numbers may belong not only to smartphones but also to Internet of Things (IoT) devices. 

Currently, mobile operators are unable to distinguish IMEI usage among mobile phones, SIM-enabled devices and IoT equipment. As a result, devices such as CCTV systems may also be operating under identical IMEI numbers. 

The government has started separately tagging legally imported IoT devices to address this issue.

Analysis of the most frequently used duplicate IMEI numbers shows that around 19.50 lakh devices are active under the IMEI "440015202000". Another around 17.50 lakh devices were found using "35227301738634", while over 15 lakh devices are operating under "35275101952326". 

Even the single-digit zero "0" IMEI number has been detected on 586,331 active devices, said the ministry release.

Authorities have compiled a list of fake and duplicate IMEI numbers with more than 100,000 active connections each, underscoring the scale and seriousness of the problem.

The analysis of the most frequently used duplicate IMEI numbers showed that certain devices dominate the list. For instance, IMEI 440015202000 is active on 1,949,088 devices, IMEI 35227301738634 on 1,758,848 devices, IMEI 35275101952326 on 1,523,571 devices, and even the single-digit zero IMEI "0" is found on 586,331 devices. Other notable IMEIs include 35464802000025 with 539,648 devices, 35868800000015 with 532,867 devices, 86740002031661 with 463,017 devices, 86740002031662 with 413,814 devices, 13579024681122 with 276,907 devices, and 35210801000230 with 213,789 devices. 

Additional frequently active numbers include 15151515151515 on 210,037 devices, 35975900251493 on 194,782 devices, 35868800009385 on 190,393 devices, 35505002098451 on 168,560 devices, 35945478498188 on 158,556 devices, 35464802000000 on 150,546 devices, 35391902568013 on 147,065 devices, 35973800955340 on 127,184 devices, 35325905457468 on 126,596 devices, 35968800000015 on 124,440 devices, 35827311738634 on 114,781 devices, 35448501567207 on 114,671 devices, 86301402000005 on 106,314 devices, and 35411208064429 on 103,281 devices. 

Officials said this pattern reflects how certain clone or counterfeit devices have spread widely across the country's mobile networks, emphasizing the need for continued monitoring under the NEIR system.

Although the presence of clone and counterfeit phones in the domestic market was known earlier, officials said the depth of the problem became fully apparent only after NEIR was implemented.

A Bangladesh Bank report published in 2024 said 73 percent of digital fraud cases in the country occur through unregistered devices. 

Joint data from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and mobile financial service (MFS) providers showed that 85 percent of e-KYC fraud incidents in 2023 involved illegal or reprogrammed handsets. 

In the same year, around 180,000 mobile phone thefts were officially reported, while several hundred thousand more cases went unreported, and most of the stolen devices were not recovered.

Officials said selling counterfeit phones to consumers in the name of unofficial new handsets represents an unprecedented level of fraud, stressing that curbing such practices is essential in the public interest, reports BSS.