Do you have any idea where your lost or stolen iPhone went? Your devices are locked to your Apple ID by Apple thanks to Activation Lock and Find My iPhone. This drives criminals to come up with more creative methods to repurpose the gadget so that it may be used (and sold).
Scammers Request That You Disable the Activation Lock
Since Activation Lock persists even after a complete software reset, erasing an iPhone is not sufficient. The associated Apple ID password must be supplied in order to activate the device following a software reset. If this doesn’t work, the legitimate owner can use the Find My iPhone function on iCloud.com’s “Erase iPhone” and “Delete from Account” buttons to remove the device from their account.
The iPhone can be enabled once more by using a different Apple ID by removing it from “Find My.” If the legitimate owner can be persuaded to disable Activation Lock, then the criminals stand to win as a gadget that isn’t locked to an Apple ID has far higher value than one that is.
If the iPhone has been placed in Lost Mode, finding its legitimate owner won’t be difficult. This enables the owner to leave a contact information, such as a phone number, so that anybody who discovers the phone may give it back to the original owner.
The Scam’s Mechanism
Scammers may send text messages (like this one) to owners of lost or stolen iPhones, telling them that the iPhone and all of the sensitive information it contained have been discovered. Claims are made that images, contacts, the contents of email and text messages, or even banking and other sensitive information is at danger.
The idea is to persuade owners that in order to secure this data, the device has to be properly cleaned, and in order to accomplish so, they require access to the device. To protect data, they will advise owners to take the device off of “Find My” on iCloud.com. It’s quite improbable that they have access to this information in reality.
The likelihood of this data being accessible to anybody in possession of the phone is small, if the device has a distinctive password that is difficult to guess. The only thing the criminals need is for you to remotely detach the device from your Apple ID so they may utilise it for their own purposes.
If you didn’t set up a special passcode to protect your cellphone, criminals will probably email you pictures or photographs that show they have your device. In this instance, you can access iCloud.com using your Apple ID to remotely delete your device (without removing Activation Lock). In any case, you should do this, especially if you have an iCloud backup that you may use as a backup.
Try Not to Stress Over a Lost iPhone
Although it hurts to lose an expensive device, Apple’s security measures are fairly strong. Use a unique six-digit (or higher) password frequently so that, in the worst case scenario, thieves will only be left with a pricey paperweight. Above all, avoid falling for con artists that suggest disabling Activation Lock by remotely deleting the iPhone from your Apple ID.
