Lena’s stomach dropped. March 12—that was three months ago. The guy who sold it to her? Probably not the original owner. Probably just a middleman flipping stolen goods.

She typed: .

That night, she learned what millions of people learn too late: the smallest number on a phone—the IMEI—holds the biggest truth. And a quick online search is the difference between a deal and a disaster.

At 12:15 AM, she called the non-emergency police line. An officer told her to come in tomorrow with everything she had. “And next time,” the officer added, “check the IMEI online before you hand over the cash. There are free tools for that. Takes thirty seconds.”

Hit enter.