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TruOwn

Check before you hand over the money.

Buying a second-hand phone, car or laptop? Enter its IMEI, VIN or chassis number and see in seconds whether it has been reported lost, stolen or disputed.

Buyer's checklist Register what you own

Example result

IMEI ···7518
RegisteredDocumented
First registered
14 months ago
Previous owners
0

No reports against this item.

Owner's name, phone and location are never shown.

What a check tells you

Every result comes with a plain answer: what the status means and what to do next.
  • Registered

    An owner has registered it and nothing has been reported.

    Ask the seller to transfer it to you on TruOwn before you pay.

  • Stolen

    The registered owner has reported it stolen.

    Don't buy it. Walk away and, if you can do so safely, tell the police.

  • Lost

    The registered owner has reported it lost.

    Don't buy it. If you found it, send the owner an anonymous message.

  • Disputed

    Two people have claimed it and TruOwn is reviewing evidence.

    Wait until the dispute is resolved before paying anything.

How it works

Three habits that make second-hand buying and selling safer.

  1. 01Register it

    Add your phone, car or laptop by its IMEI, VIN or serial number. It takes a couple of minutes.

  2. 02Check before you buy

    Anyone can check an item's status for free. No account needed, and no personal details are shown.

  3. 03Transfer safely

    Selling? Ownership only moves when the buyer confirms with a code sent to their phone.

Read the full walkthrough

Phones, cars and laptops

Each item is registered by the number that is unique to it.

  • Phones

    Identified by IMEI

    Dial *#06#, or look on the box and SIM tray. Dual-SIM phones have two.

  • Cars

    Identified by VIN or chassis number

    Lower corner of the windscreen, driver's door frame, and the vehicle papers.

  • Laptops

    Identified by Serial number

    Label underneath the laptop, or in the system settings. Registered with the brand.

A record that shows if anyone has changed it

Each registration, transfer and report is chained to the one before it. Every day the new entries are anchored so anyone can check, independently, that a record hasn't been altered since. We never track your location or use your microphone.

  • Hash-chained: altering any past entry breaks every entry after it.
  • Ownership certificates carry a QR code that links back to the live record.
  • The log stores pseudonymous IDs only, never names or phone numbers.
Verify a recordHow the record works

Common questions

Is the check really free? Do I need an account?

Yes, it's free, and you don't need an account. Anyone can check a phone, car or laptop by its IMEI, VIN or chassis number as often as they need to.

What does a check show?

The item's status (for example Registered, Lost, Stolen or Disputed), its trust level, when it was first registered, how many previous owners it has had on TruOwn, and whether a dispute is open. It never shows the owner's name, phone number, email or location.

The check says “No record found”. Is the item safe to buy?

Not necessarily. It only means nobody has registered that identifier on TruOwn yet. Follow the buyer's checklist, and ask the seller to register the item and transfer it to you on TruOwn before you pay.

All questions

Lost something, or found something?

Owners can flag a stolen item straight away, even without logging in. Finders can message the owner without either side seeing the other's details.

Report lost or stolenI found an item