Firms asked to help thwart cellphone theft

The growing popularity of iPhones and other smartphones comes with a new drawback: cellphone theft -- and it's on the rise.

To thwart thieves, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling on providers to render stolen phones useless by deactivating them after they're reported lost or stolen.

In an announcement Sunday, Schumer said thieves can still use stolen or lost cellphones because phone companies only deactivate the user's SIM card, which contains personal data and is the storage component of the device. While deactivating a SIM card protects the owner by keeping thieves from accessing personal information and racking up charges, it doesn't stop the bad guys from reselling the phones on the black market.

Schumer cited NYPD statistics released two weeks ago showing more than half of all property thefts in the five boroughs are related to cellphones.

Instead of relying on the deactivation of SIM cards, Schumer wants major phone carriers to disable stolen phones based on the International Mobile Equipment Identity, or IMEI, number assigned to the device.

Deactivating a stolen or lost cellphone using its IMEI number renders the device impotent because thieves can't resell or reuse phones by simply replacing the SIM cards, Schumer said.

"It would be like having a car without the motor," said Schumer. "Now it's like a car without the wheel."

He also said disabling the cellphones would deter violent robberies. He cited news reports in which two Long Island teens in separate cases were beaten, robbed and one bitten to force them to give up their iPhones.

"By making stolen cellphones nothing more than useless paper weights, we can put a serious dent in the growth of cellphone theft in New York and around the country," said Schumer.

The technology is being used in Europe. He said Sprint and Verizon are the only major U.S. carriers that have a similar technology in place. AT&T, T-Mobile and Nextel-Boost do not, he said. He said he's particularly interested in AT&T because it is the nation's major carrier for iPhones. Verizon also sells the popular Apple iPhone smartphone.

Schumer said he's reaching out to the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Justice Department to work with the companies to assist with establishing the new system.