This changes very little for the moment: 1. Most of the phones in the US are CDMA carrier exclusives; they maintain their own stolen/lost databases. Even 10 ye

This changes very little for the moment: 1. Most of the phones in the US are CDMA carrier exclusives; they maintain their own stolen/lost databases. Even 10 years ago you could call Verizon or Sprint and they would blacklist the ESN/MEID. 2. If you've probably noticed the majority of the US is currently on CDMA which isn't anywhere else outside of US/CA/SKorea. Taking that stolen Verizon flip phone to Mexico gets you a brick. In the future with a larger LTE footprint this can be effective but I'll have to see.