What is a clone?

About clones

In cell phone terms, a clone is a cellular phone programmed with stolen electronic identification numbers. In the 1990’s, many criminals were reprogramming wireless phones and selling them on the black market. The person who bought the phone would incur no charges because the phone would be operating on a stolen account.

Cloning is a serious offense and those caught cloning phones or owning a clone phone can be prosecuted. The Wireless Telephone Protection Act of 1998 outlawed cloning. The law forbids using, selling, obtaining or being in possession of a cellular phone in which you are able to receive phone service without proper permission from a cell phone service provider.

If you are purchase a cell phone from an individual and the deal sounds too good to be true, be very careful. You could be breaking the law by purchasing a cell phone that has been cloned, even if you do so unknowingly. For that reason, it’s always safest to purchase your cell phone and corresponding service from a reputable source.