What the Tech: Stolen phones
When someone steals your phone, you might think the worst part is losing the device. But the real danger comes afterward, when the person who has it starts trying to get into your digital life.
That’s what happened to my daughter. Her phone vanished one day. She checked Apple’s Find My app and briefly saw it on the map in the last place she had it. Then it disappeared.
A few days later, she got a notification on her laptop that the phone popped up again in the Find My app, this time in Miami. And a couple of weeks later, it pinged in Hong Kong.
Then came the messages.
A text, claiming to be from Apple claimed someone was trying to make a purchase using the phone and her Apple credit card. The next day, the thief messaged her that they had her personal information and urged her to remove the phone from her Apple ID account.
Then another text, claiming to be from a guy who purchased the phone and began receiving her phone calls. He said her attempt at erasing the phone remotely did not work and that he had her contacts, credit cards, photos, and everything else. Promising that if she’d remove the phone from her account, he would reset it.
This is where a lot of people fall for the trap.
When an iPhone is stolen, and the thief realizes it’s locked and still connected to iCloud, they can’t reset it or use it. It’s essentially a paperweight unless they can convince the owner to remove it from their account.
That’s why the messages usually sound urgent or even helpful. They’ll say things like:
- “We found your phone.”
- “We need you to remove it from iCloud so we can return it.”
- “It’s useless unless you unlock it. Help us and we’ll send it back.”
They’ll attach screen shots with instructions on how to remove the phone from the account. What they’re really doing is trying to make the phone usable again, to wipe it and sell it.
So here’s what you should never do if your phone is stolen:
- Don’t remove it from your iCloud or Google account.
That’s what they want. It’s the only way they can reset the phone. - Don’t respond to suspicious texts, emails, or messages.
Even if they mention your name, address, or offer to “help,” it’s a trick. - Enable Lost Mode using Find My.
This locks the phone and shows a custom message with your contact info. - Report it to the police.
You might need a case number for your insurance or to block the IMEI.
If a message says your phone has been found in another country, it’s likely been resold or shipped to a place where laws make it harder to trace. But even then, your phone is useless to whoever has it unless they convince you to unlock it.
Apple’s Activation Lock exists to prevent this. But it only works if you keep control of your account.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/120837?utm_source=chatgpt.com
