I find that there are a lot of things we think we know that we don't truly know, we know of the terminologies but we don't exactly know why they exist or why they're Important, one of the said terminologies is the IMEI number that is found on all our devices. IMEI is an abbreviation for International Mobile Equipment Identity, it basically helps to identify genuine mobile devices and curb the theft of mobile devices. We tend to underestimate the amount of theft that goes on yearly so a few statistics should help clear things up.
A RELATABLE EXPLANATION
36.4 million mobile devices are stolen at work, 16.8 million devices are stolen at conferences and of the staggering 70 million smartphones stolen on a yearly basis, only 4.9 million devices are recovered. I have good reason to believe most people don't put in any effort into recovering their devices. An IMEI number is typically 15 digits long and is different from the serial number attached to devices. Serial numbers are used by device makers to identify devices, IMEI numbers are can be shared with network providers in the event that you want to block a stolen phone.
IMEI NUMBERS ARE FOUND ONLY ON SIM ENABLED DEVICES
When a device is blocked, all network providers are informed and the device is more or less usable regardless of which SIM you insert into the device. Because you need a mobile network carrier to block phones, IMEI numbers are only applicable to devices with a SIM slot. Recall that we previously learnt about IP addresses and it kind of begs the question of what IMEI is doing differently, IP can easily be changed or masked through VPN, however, IMEI is more or less unchangeable (under normal conditions). IMEI numbers can easily be found in the battery compartment part of your device or by dialling *#06# from your device.
FINALLY...
I believe people don't explore blocking their stolen phones because they don't keep records of their IMEI numbers and they don't believe it's possible to recover these devices. It would be advisable to store one's IMEI data online, it doesn't take that much time to send it to yourself as an email or write it down somewhere. I believe if more people block stolen phones, the incentive to steal devices would reduce. While law enforcement (depending on where you live) isn't equally reliable in cases where you need to track and/or retrieve a stolen device, blocking the phone is as easy as making a phone call to your network provider.