A fast-moving scam is seeking to exploit a simple phone code and valuable camera equipment. People you’ve never met before are asking if they can “make a quick call,” then surreptitiously harvesting your phone’s IMEI, the unique identifier operators use to keep tabs on handsets and block them in case of theft, by dialing *#06# and noting down the resulting on-screen number with their glasses before returning your phone.
It’s not a harmless prank. With an IMEI, a fraudster has a strong anchor to use when impersonating you with your carrier, trying to SIM swap or port out your phone number, requesting unlocks and even blacklisting your device. A viral report on Reddit this week details the very playbook, and security experts say it’s an approach that elegantly combines old-school social engineering with subtle, always-on cameras.
How the smart glasses IMEI harvest scam actually works
The scenario is disarmingly mundane: A stranger says their battery has died and asks to use your phone to call a contact. They take the device and immediately type *#06#, which calls up IMEI information on both iOS and Android. With camera glasses, snagging that screen takes one-tenth of a second — no need to root around for your phone, no giveaway selfie pose and little risk you’ll even notice.
Some smart glasses, including popular ones made with Meta integration, employ a small status LED while recording, but it can be hard to see in daylight, blocked by a finger, or thwarted by tape. The result is a clear, high-resolution copy of your device identifiers as well as possibly any notifications currently visible on your screen.
Why exposing your phone’s IMEI can fuel targeted fraud
IMEI numbers are fundamental to mobile networks; the GSMA maintains global IMEI allocation data, and carriers rely on it to activate, unlock, blacklist and troubleshoot mobile devices. An IMEI isn’t literally a secret, no matter how much it may feel like one, but in the context of social engineering, or other types of targeted scams (more on that later) it becomes a precision-targeting tool that says “I know the EXACT device on this line.”
That detail can grease the skids for account takeovers and SIM swaps, particularly if the scammer also stole a glimpse of your lock-screen name, phone number or one-time codes. U.S. authorities have repeatedly warned of these attacks: One year, the F.B.I.’s Internet Crime Complaint Center said SIM-swap losses reached tens of millions; and the F.C.C. has told carriers to harden port-out procedures. Armed with an IMEI, a name and some gall, a grifter can pose as you and ask for changes to be made that reroute your calls and texts — cutting you out of the tertiary channels that banking layers or email have in place as backstop recovery.
The Problem Is Even Worse With Smart Glasses
Camera glasses take care of the capturing for you. They point wherever you’re looking, record hands-free, and they help targets let their guard down. Privacy researchers have raised alarms about how wearables erode social cues — you don’t see an elevated phone, or hear a camera shutter. In a “please help me call” request, that asymmetry is exactly what scammers hope for.
There is a second layer of peril: when a stranger holds your phone for you, they may tilt the screen to film your passcode entry, email address or 2FA prompts.
Investigations into street theft rings have revealed how easily a passcode in plain sight can devolve to account lockouts and device takeovers. Toss in a compromised IMEI and the journey to carrier fraud is even simpler.
What to do instead when a stranger asks to use your phone
Don’t hand over your device. If you do help, hold the phone yourself, dial the number by hand and turn on speakerphone while keeping the screen locked. Call local services if it’s really an emergency for them.
Secure your accounts before you get targeted. Secure the device. The stronger the PIN you use for your carrier account, the less likely someone can defeat that security setting and port your number to another carrier plan under their control. Use a SIM PIN on your device so that a thief can’t swap SIMs without entering the code, and disable lock-screen previews for texts and one-time passcodes.
On the iPhone, get Stolen Device Protection and limit access to Control Center on the lock screen. For Android, insist on a screen lock for sensitive toggles and keep your Google as well as carrier logins guarded with strong, app-based multifactor authentication. When possible, turn on banking alerts that notify you when a new device is signed in or there is a number change.
If you assume that you were the target of this IMEI scam
Immediately, call your carrier and put it under a port-out hold; confirm that the PIN you have on file is correct and check what recent changes may have been made. Make sure no lines or eSIMs were added. Ask for a temporary block and details if you see anything suspicious.
Reset email, cloud backup and financial app passwords, and pay attention to login alerts. If you suspect a successful SIM swap or fraud, ring your bank’s fraud team and make a report with your national consumer protection agency or police. The key is speed — the faster you lock your number and assets down, the less leverage an attacker gets from having taken that single IMEI snapshot.
The bottom line is that your phone is a portal to your identity and finances, and a camera in a stranger’s glasses can scoop more up than you might realize. Do maintain a grip on your device, and ensure that your carrier’s and account’s security measures are set up.