Mobile phones are now present everywhere. They have become an essential part of the daily lives of billions of people all over the world, from all walks of life. As of 2020, there are 3.5 billion smartphones being used across the globe. According to a report by Statista, there are well over 24 million mobile phone subscribers in Sri Lanka, as of last year. This is an incredible rise from the 16.3 million subscribers that were registered 10 years ago, in 2009.

However, a report by the Sri Lanka Police states that over 800 to 1,000 complaints of lost or stolen mobile phones are received by the numerous police stations across the country every single day. This is truly a great cause for concern in a country with well over 24 million mobile numbers.

In addition, tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world visit this beautiful island destination in the Indian Ocean every year. As is unfortunate with such scenic and popular vacation spots, there are instances when tourists and citizens report increasing loss of mobile phones through being stolen or simply being misplaced. Thousands of such victims search for the best option to pursue in case they want to track a mobile phone in Sri Lanka but get their time wasted with irrelevant information on other websites.

In this article, you will definitely know everything you need to learn about how to track a mobile phone in Sri Lanka, what to do when your mobile phone is stolen, what to do when your mobile phone is lost and also the solution for what to do when a mobile number is harassing you in Sri Lanka.

What to do when your mobile phone is stolen?


Increasing numbers of reports of mobile phones getting stolen are being lodged at police stations in Sri Lanka, especially in the tourist regions. Reports of tourists and citizens having their mobile phones stolen on the popular beaches, restaurants and other public places with a heavy crowd, such as while using a bus or other public transport are on the rise in the country.

If, in any case, you find yourself in a similar situation when in Sri Lanka and your mobile phones get robbed you will need to know the precise steps that can help recover your stolen mobile phone or at least render it useless for the thief to stop its misuse any further.

The first thing to know for recovering or rendering your stolen mobile phone useless for the thief or anybody else, you will first need to know your mobile phone’s IMEI number. Here are the simple steps to find your mobile phone’s IMEI number:

(Do this when you buy your phone and save your IMEI number somewhere)

  1. Open Phone/Call option and dial – *#06# – on your mobile phone
  2. Press Call button

These simple steps will promptly give you a 15-digit sequence of numbers, which is the unique IMEI number assigned to your mobile phone only.

The Sri Lanka Police launched a website recently to help track lost and stolen mobile phones anywhere in the country.

The "iNeed.Police.lk" is an excellent website and the one-stop solution to prevent misuse of your stolen mobile phone in Sri Lanka. After realizing you have had your mobile phone stolen in Sri Lanka, it is highly advisable to visit this website, which is simple enough to use with these steps:

  1. Create an account on iNeed Police website (if not existing user) and log in to account
  2. Enter your stolen mobile phone’s IMEI number
  3. Enter your stolen mobile’s phone number
  4. Press Submit

With these simple steps, you can easily register a complaint and have the report of your stolen mobile phone sent automatically to your closest police station and the TRC (Telecommunications Regulatory Commission) as well as to your SIM service provider simultaneously.


What to do when your mobile phone is lost?


There may be times when we are in a rush or simply absentminded and forget to pick our mobile phone before leaving the place. Often time, your mobile phone may get lost after falling out of its place of your pocket or bag. Whatever the reason, it is definitely an inconvenience in the least but a lost mobile phone may often lead to bigger troubles, such as online frauds and identity theft, etc.

It is of utmost importance to lodge a report immediately in case you lose your mobile phone anywhere in Sri Lanka.

Simply open the "iNeed.Police.lk" website and you can easily lodge a complaint of your lost mobile phone in Sri Lanka instantly. These are the simple steps to follow when you’re searching for what to do when your mobile phone is lost in Sri Lanka:

  1. Open ineed.police.lk website and log in (if existing user) or Create Account (if a new user)
  2. Enter your lost mobile phone’s IMEI number in the relevant field
  3. Enter your lost mobile’s phone number as well
  4. Click on Submit to lodge an official complaint of your lost mobile phone

Following the above procedure correctly will not only send a copy of the complaint to the nearest police station but will simultaneously send the lost mobile phone report to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) of Sri Lanka as well as your mobile phone service provider too.

This single report on the Sri Lanka Police helpline website will ensure that the closest police station takes note to find the perpetrators who stole your mobile phone. Whereas, the same report will be sufficient to notify the TRC and your service provider to stop the phone services to your registered phone number and to track the stolen phone using its IMEI number.

What to do when a mobile number is harassing you?


Mobile phone harassment is a nuisance when you receive unsolicited and unwanted calls from strange phone or mobile numbers. According to a report by the Daily FT, around 9% of Sri Lankans report facing harassment from unknown mobile phone numbers, which is significant in the country with a population of just over 24 million people.

If you are wondering what to do when a mobile number is harassing you in Sri Lanka, here are the two simple solutions:

  1. Call or visit the nearest police station and lodge a detailed complaint which includes the harassing phone number. The police will take prompt action to find the culprit if they are from the country. In the case of international numbers, the complaint is forwarded to your mobile phone service provider.
  2. Call your mobile phone service provider customer care number and report the harassing phone number. In case of domestic phone numbers, the report is sent to the relevant police station to take action and in case of international numbers, the number is promptly blocked from calling you or any number on the same network, in the future.