The Federal Government recently launched Celular Seguro, an initiative that aims to block stolen, lost or stolen devices and notify partner companies, such as banking apps, about the incident. Furthermore, after testing by some users, it was certainly found that the program not only fulfills its purpose, but also has a striking feature: once blocked, there is no way to unlock the phone.
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Highlights
- Secure Cellular blocks more than 4 thousand devices in one week
- How to use the Safe Cell Phone app to notify banks and operators in case of theft
- How to register an incident on Secure Mobile
- Secure Cell Phone Works – And There’s No Going Back
The Secure Cell Phone operation is simplified: the user registers on the app or website, providing personal information, phone number and IMEI (device identifier). Then, the user includes a trusted number, which is responsible for blocking the lost or stolen device. When the incident is registered, the app suspends the operation of the indicated device.
The apparent simplicity led some users to test the program. However, the finding was surprising: the devices were blocked without the possibility of reversal, as reported in posts on X/Twitter and in online stores where the app is available for free.
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The issue of unlocking has become a question mark for many
Although, to date, there is no option in the app or web version to undo the block. After all, the Minister of Justice, Ricardo Cappelli, commented on the subject, making a humorous analogy: “It’s not for testing! You took out car insurance… are you going to crash into a pole? Are you going to call 190 to say it was stolen, after it wasn’t stolen?”, he said.
Secure Cell Phone works as a one-way street: its main function is to prevent the use of a cell phone in cases of theft, robbery or loss. In short, if the device is restored, the user will need to individually contact each company involved (whether it be the cell phone brand or the blocked banking apps) to release the device.
The program is a preventive measure against crimes involving smartphones, offering a way for owners to prevent the use of lost or stolen devices. In addition, it speeds up the reporting of incidents, saving users the trouble of blocking each service on the device. Partners, such as banking apps, receive notifications from the app to block their accounts corresponding to the incident.
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