My 14-year-old left his phone somewhere at school or on the bus and I’m trying to figure out if there’s a way to track it down using the IMEI number. I’ve seen a bunch of websites claiming they can locate a device just from the IMEI but honestly they all look super sketchy to me. Has anyone actually had success with this or is it all just a scam?
Yeah those IMEI tracker websites are basically all scams — they can’t actually locate a phone, they just want your money or your info. The IMEI system is only accessible by carriers and law enforcement, so regular websites have zero access to it.
Your best bet right now is Google Find My Device (if it’s Android) — just log into his Google account from any browser and it’ll show the last known location if the phone’s on. Also worth calling the school and the bus company today before someone pockets it.
If it’s truly gone, file a report with your carrier using the IMEI to get it blocked — that’s actually what the IMEI number is useful for in your hands.