Before you buy a used phone

Four checks that tell you whether the seller can actually hand the phone over.

1. 01

   Have them open Settings → About and show Carrier Lock, or the Android SIM status, while you watch. A screenshot from last week is not the phone.

2. 02

   Dial *#06# and match the IMEI to the listing. If the box and the phone disagree, trust the phone.

3. 03

   Ask them to sign out of the Apple ID or Google account in front of you, after Find My or the device is removed from the account.

4. 04

   If they will not, or the phone asks for a previous owner's account, do not pay. A carrier unlock will not clear that.

Official carrier and settings procedures only. This is not a bypass, IMEI, or stolen-phone service.