Stolen Phone?
Welcome to the TelcoTroll NTC Toolkit. Here you will read about the NTC and the things you need to do in an event that your phone gets stolen or lost.
NTC Toolkit
The National Telecommunications Commission (aka Ang Pambansang Komisyon sa Telekomunikasyon) is an agency of the Philippine government under the Commission on Information and Communications Technology. The NTC is responsible for the supervision, adjudication and control over all telecommunications services throughout the Philippines.
Come Call or Visit!
Address: NTC Building, BIR Road, East Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City 1104 Philippines
Land Line: 924-4042 or 924-4048
Website: www.ntc.gov.ph
Email: ntc@ntc.gov.ph
Officials (This list is a bit outdated)
Commissioner: Ruel V. Canobas
924-4042 / 924-4048
commissioner@ntc.gov.ph
Deputy Commissioner: Jaime M. Fortes, Jr.
924-4040 / 924-4087
depcom1@ntc.gov.ph
Deputy Commissioner: Jorge V. Sarmiento
924-4037 / 924-3749
depcom2@ntc.gov.ph
Acting Chief for the Frequency Management Division: Joselito C. Leynes
924-4069
fmd@ntc.gov.ph
Commission Secretariat: Grace V. Manuel (Officer-in-Charge)
924-3738
secretariat@ntc.gov.ph
Complaints?
The One Stop Public Assistance Center (OSPAC) is where subscribers can formally lodge complaints against the telcos. Your first contact guide would be Victor A. Gusto.
OSPAC Hotline: 926-7722 / 436-7722 / 920-4464 / 921-3251 (mobile @ 0919-299 9999)
Email: ospac@ntc.gov.ph
HELP! My Phone Got Stolen!
Troll: Hold up! Before you read on, please visit the official NTC page for subscriber complaints, which is also the same venue for where stolen or lost handsets are reported! Click this LINK to find out more!
STEP 1: Kill the SIM!
For postpaid, immediately inform your network about the theft. The operator can block the SIM card to ensure that you will not be charged for further transactions made on the phone. Be prepared to provide your account details to prove that the line is yours. If you are on prepaid, then don’t even bother. The thief will just ditch your SIM once he/she maxes out your load (but if you want your SIM blocked, then just declare your number in the form for reporting lost/stolen phones and the NTC will take care of it. More on this below)
Troll Tip: For postpaid subscribers, write down on a piece of paper the hot line of your home network and place this in your wallet. If you don’t do this and for some reason, your phone gets stolen, you will remember this reminder and ask yourself: “Why didn’t I follow the Troll’s wallet advice? WHY!?”
STEP 2: Kill the Handset!
Go to the NTC to have your phone disabled though its IMEI.
The IMEI is a code that is unique to your phone and the telcos can use this information to make your handset unusable on their networks. IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity.
How to get your IMEI:
- Press *#06# on your handset and take note of the 15-digit number. This would be your IMEI.
- Or check the insides of your phone, specifically near the SIM card slot. Your IMEI should be there somewhere.
Troll Tip: You know that piece of paper where you wrote the help line number of your network. Add your IMEI to it and put the note back in your wallet.
Once you give the NTC your IMEI, it will then inform the telcos who in turn, will disable the handset from being used on their respective networks (once the phone is blocked, the words “SIM registration failed” will appear on the phone every time the thief tries to fire it up).
Note that disabled phones/handsets may be unblocked again, through the NTC or if the thief knows a very sophisticated phone hacker (Don’t worry, there are only a very few of them in the Philippines).
But then the NTC won’t disable a phone without sufficient proof from the real owner. So be ready with the following:
1. The Affidavit of Ownership and Loss. Click on this LINK to get the NTC form for reporting a lost/stolen phone; once you download it, print it out, fill it up and have it notarized.
2 .Two Valid Identification Cards. Let’s define valid as something government issued, a passport maybe. A school or company I.D. should also be okay. Be ready with Photocopies.
3. Proof of Ownership. May come in the form of the purchase receipt of your phone, or the bar code sticker of the phone’s box/packaging (if you keep your phone box then you may have a slight OCD problem – which makes it likely that you will follow the TrollTips listed here). If you do not have a receipt or the bar code sticker, a police certificate stating that your phone has been stolen will do.
Okay, that’s it. If you are lazy to travel to QC, try calling the OSPAC hotline. I have a feeling there is an option to send the documents listed above via fax or email.
URGENT UPDATE: Good News! According to phone theft victim Arby, there is no need to actually go to the NTC to file a blocking request. Just get all the requirements ready, then scan (i.e. convert to images) and send them over to ntcncr@yahoo.com (just make sure to do a phone followup by calling OSPAC to see if your request is being processed).
Is There Another Way to Kill My Handset?
Yes. You can use the NTC’s “Text 682” SMS Reporting System (682 spells NTC on your phone!).
“Text 682” is an alternative way of reporting and disabling lost/stolen handsets through the IMEI code. Just follow the instructions below!
(Note: all transactions below will cost you P5.00 per send)
For SMART/TnT and Globe/TM subscribers
Step 1: Register!
- Find the IMEI code of your handset (check your wallet!) and text REG (your number) (the IMEI code) (your PIN code) and send to 682. (For example, REG 09151234567 123456789123456 1234)
Step 2: Your Phone Gets Stolen!
- Block that motherf! Borrow your friends phone and text BLOCK (your mobile number) (your pin code) and send to 682 (For example, BLOCK 09151234567 1234)
- In case you discover that your phone wasn’t stolen, tell everyone immediately and just laugh about the whole thing. If you mistakenly accused someone, apologize and make a lame joke and move on. Now you need your phone UNBLOCKed. Just text UNBLOCK (your mobile number) (your pin code) and send to 682.
Step 3: No, there is no step 3 – but here are other stuff you can do!
- How to UN-register your phone (in case you want to remove yourself from the Matrix. Use the SIM and handset that you registered with and text UNREG (your mobile number) (your pin code) and send to 682.
- Broke up with your girlfriend, and she knows your PIN, therefore – she can have your phone killed as an act of revenge. It’s your fault dude – you slept around and got caught. But still, you have to protect your phone. Use the SIM and handset that you registered with and text PIN (old pin code) (new pin code) and send to 682.
- You want the instructions for the “Text 682” service in SMS? Text HELP to 682.
For Sun
Step 1: Navigate the Sun Cellular Emergency Sub-menu (enter “The Mall”, select Post Office, then select Public Service, then select Government)
Step 2: Find the TEXT 682 service. Available options are: Register, Block, Unblock, Unregister, Change PIN, and Help/FAQ’s
Note that the “Text 682” service will only be active for a year, after which – your will need to re-register.
Why Heed the Wallet Advice?
January 2010 saw 1,189 complaints to the NTC for lost/stolen phones – In 2009, the NTC recorded 14,216 complaints. Mind you, this is a very small, indicative fraction of phone thievery, a large number of which stay unreported.
So get a piece of paper, and write down the hot line of your network and the IMEI of your phone and keep this note in your wallet.
A Real Life Phone Theft Story! Click Me! Do It! Do It Now!
Protect Your Prepaid Number from Permanent Loss! Get SIMSafe! Click Meee!
Vox Populi!