Invalid IMEI

[Rukovodilac]

I bought an S8+ from Craiglist a bit hasty and I think I was tricked. There were a few photos on the Craiglist and on one of them, there's a phone displaying both IMEI numbers (dual sim) and a box with a sticker and the same IMEI number. We met, I checked the phone quickly, everything works, phone looks as advertised, we're both in a hurry, I give the money, take the phone and we split. I took a photo of his driving licence and a car registration. 2 days later, I found a time to set it up. Before inserting SIM card I type *#06# to check IMEI once again just to find it's completely different! And even worse, on line services recognize it as an "invalid IMEI". It's obvious someone has tampered with the IMEI numbers. Now, things complicate for me. I don't live in the USA and I can't easily go to the police and try to find a person. Maybe the phone is not stolen since he gave me his driving licence to take a photo (or maybe the licence is fake) but I don't get where do those wrong IMEIs come from?

My questions:
1. Could it have happened because of the factory reset and how do I find original IMEI?
2. Will phone work with this IMEI: [removed] / 01 and [removed] / 02 (I guess not but I don't dare to insert a SIM card)

Thanks

 

[belodion]

Welcome.

I've removed the IMEI's, which are sequentially different by only the last digit, because we don't publish IMEI details on this site.
It may be best to check with a carrier, who may be able to tell you if there's a problem, and why.

 

[Rukovodilac]

Thanks Belodion,
I apologize, I didn't know, my mistake.

 

[belodion]

No problem at all.

 

[kramer5150]

Aren't IMEI numbers set by the OEM? Isn't it imbedded into the core of the chip and not an edit-able piece of data? So wouldn't samsung be the only ones to really know the devices original IMEI?

 

[belodion]

^ I don’t know, but I believe that unscrupulous knowledgeable persons can change them for fraudulent or other deceptive purposes.

 

[petraru1]

Don't share your imei, just avoid the problems