My Recent Experience with a Stolen Phone: A Cautionary Tale

It’s been a whirlwind few days since I purchased what I believed was a flawless Samsung S23 Ultra for $800. Just two months in, I was greeted by an alarming message when I returned home from work: a notification stating that the device had been reported as stolen from Amazon.

The alert on the screen was unsettling, displaying the following information:

• Amazon Notification
• Passkey: 61783337 (which proved ineffective when I tried to enter it)
• IMEI: 354484224894558
• Message: “This device has been reported as lost or stolen and must be returned to Amazon. Please call 08002797234 for details.”

My initial reaction was pure panic. A quick Google search revealed a lengthy thread filled with others who had encountered similar situations. Many described it as a scam, particularly noting that dialing the listed number often led to poor-quality calls with agents who communicated in broken English, supposedly located in the UK but sounding like they were calling from Asia.

Feeling a sense of dread, I hesitated to call the provided number. The thought of having purchased a stolen device left me uneasy. To make matters worse, I immediately attempted to reach out to the individual who sold me the phone. I attached a photo for context but couldn’t send it through the initial platform. Fortunately, he responded shortly after, expressing confusion about the issue and offering either a replacement phone or a refund.

In the meantime, I was unable to bypass the distressing pop-up notification. Despite my efforts to reset the phone and even perform a factory reset through recovery mode, I was met with the same alarming message after completing the initial setup. Each attempt to regain functionality was futile, intensifying my anxiety.

In a surprising turn of events, the seller reached out again. He proposed that he could swap the potentially problematic device for another S23 Ultra, which was available in both green and black. We met, and he handed over a replacement in seemingly excellent condition. I made it clear to him that should I face any similar issues again, I expected a full refund. He agreed without hesitation.

Just ten minutes into my journey home, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from the seller. He informed me that he would prefer to refund my money outright to ensure that I wouldn’t face any further distress. Given my skepticism, I agreed to meet at our previously arranged location, and to my astonishment