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PhrasesCalling PoliceMi hanno rubato il telefono.
A2

Mi hanno rubato il telefono.

My phone has been stolen.

Pronunciation

roo-BAH-toh — stress on the second syllable; the double 'b' creates a brief pause.

When to use it

Use to report phone theft. Beyond the police report, note the IMEI number if you have it — police can flag stolen phones and network operators can block the device.

What it means

Phone theft is one of the most common crimes against tourists in Italy. Reporting it enables the IMEI blocking process. Your service provider can also block the SIM remotely.

Variations

Il mio IMEI è...

My IMEI number is...

Find IMEI on original packaging or Apple/Google account — essential for blocking.

Posso bloccare il mio telefono da remoto.

I can block my phone remotely.

Modern smartphones can be wiped and locked via cloud accounts.

Il telefono era collegato al mio account Google/Apple.

The phone was linked to my Google/Apple account.

Useful if you want police to understand you can track or wipe the device.

Mini Dialogue

— Mi hanno rubato il telefono in metropolitana. — Conosce il numero IMEI? — No, ma ce l'ho nella scatola a casa. — Quando lo trova, lo porti qui e possiamo fare la segnalazione all'operatore.

— My phone was stolen on the metro. — Do you know the IMEI number? — No, but I have it on the box at home. — When you find it, bring it here and we can notify the operator.

Cultural Note

The IMEI number is a 15-digit code unique to every phone. In Italy, operators are required to block a stolen phone's IMEI upon police notification, making the device useless even with a new SIM card.