iPhone reported as lost / stolen

My wife bought a phone (11) off a chap on Facebook, phone was listed as new / unopened in box (which it was) and unlocked (which it wasn’t).

After checking online we found out it was sim-locked to EE, she was with O2.

Tried contacting them guy but he never replied (surprise).

So as the phone wasn’t ‘blacklisted’ she cancelled her O2 contract and went on an EE sim only deal.

This was in October. Yesterday (Feb 4) she couldn’t get a signal all day so contacted EE. They told her the phone has been reported lost/stolen. Wouldn’t say which it was, or who has reported it. (Said they don’t have those details).

Now while it’s possible the guy sold her a stolen phone, it seems more likely to me that he’s the one who’s reported it lost / stolen (or the insurance company he made a claim to) and got it blocked.

Seems unlikely the original owner would wait four months to report their phone stolen.

My first thought was that he’d ordered it, sold it and never paid a bill, therefore EE blocked it but they (EE) said they wouldn’t do that. They’d just cut the service.

Anyhow, a warning to be careful.

I’d told her not to buy it but she ignored me... as usual.