Again: THIS is not the forum for that. Please search or ask elsewhere.

Nop. It's not a reason. When you buy any phone in this country, I'm sure 80% that phone is not ok. Specially on place like e-bay website (on for local market). Price is low, but you are newer sure. Eaven if you buy it in phone shop.
Phones are usually from one of EU networks (have logo sign) and than they get flashed before they get to buyer hands.

Yes, I will not ask such things in this forum. It's not a place for this topic. Thanks anyway.

masterx: If you buy an imei-blocked phone, then it's stolen (as you're basically saying yourself). Why on earth would you then think it's ok to _use_ the phone, by spoofing the imei? It's exactly things like that which creates a market for those gangs from certain parts of Europe which are currently doing the burglar rounds in my own and other countries. Without a market this extremely annoying thieveries wouldn't be an issue.

Well i think there is more reasons to change IMEI than using stolen phone.
I think this is only one way to be anonymous and use gsm phone.

It has nothing with anonymity - the phone IMEI is known for mobile providers and SIM card issuer only. In most countries they don't give it anybody besides police.

Mots likely - cheating one or both of it (phone providers or police).

The IMEI is like a MAC address for networking devices. To refute that changing the IMEI will make you anonymous, let's take my work computer as an example. It has a unique MAC address. While I am on my computer right now, other employees are able to log onto my computer. Therefore, given a unique device identifier, it is not possible to personally identify a person. Instead, I think the SIM card containing the credentials needed for me to get onto the GSM network is what identifies one user from another.

The GSM network knows the simcard which has been inserted in the phone with the particular IMEI during every call. So, even if you change the simcard they can still tell, that this is the phone which you have been using previously.

It is not a case for GSM. GSM network assigns your smartphone an IP address basing on a couple of factors and geographic location is a primary choice.

Moreover, it doesn't give you an Internet IP address but some internal IP and hide you behind NAT or proxy server. It is by 3G design.

Whilst it is illegal to change the IMEI number in the UK, i can see why someone might want to change it. IMEI is quickly being used as a tracker for people who have registered phones.

I am familiar with the practise of the police using the IMEI to track down a person. In some cases even people who work with network providers (e.g. a guy who is stalking someone will pinpoint their location and turn up at their house). I have friends who run a mobile franchise business in Asia and im constantly told how their employees, and now police are abusing this tracking identifier.

As for the UK, do i think my IMEI number is only being used legally? hell no. I'm pretty sure the police here track anyone they want when they want. Anyway I digress, so IMEI number changing is illegal - and im sure the individual asking here has no good intentions but I would keep an open mind to what the IMEI number means for authorities.

Police uses both - IMEI and SIM card ID number. As long as you have the same SIM card (the same number), you have no anonymity from police. But if you change SIM, you lose your phone number.

You should put your efforts in another direction - ask your parliament representative to change a law to prevent police stalking you without a case and judge approval. And put efforts to win a BIG money from phone provider who allows its employees to track down you/your friend without judge approval.

As for Asia... well, the only way to be not stalked - switch phone OFF and remove battery. Believe me, there are multiple ways to track your even you change IMEI and SIM card.