Wondering where your stolen or lost iPhone went? With Activation Lock and Find My iPhone, Apple locks your devices to your Apple ID. This forces thieves to turn to increasingly inventive ways to make the device usable (and sellable) again.
Scammers want you to remove activation lock
It is not enough to simply erase an iPhonesince Activation Lock persists even if the device undergoes a full soft reset. To activate the device after a soft reset, the associated Apple ID password must be entered. Alternatively, the rightful owner can remove the device from their account by using “Erase iPhone” followed by “Remove from Account” with Find My iPhone feature on iCloud.com.
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Removing the iPhone from “Find My” allows the device to be reactivated, using a different Apple ID. A device that isn’t locked to an Apple ID is far more valuable than another, so if the rightful owner can be convinced to remove the activation lock, thieves stand to gain.
Tracing the rightful owner of a lost or stolen iPhone is not difficult if the device has been lost mode. This allows the owner to leave a phone number or other contact method, so anyone who finds the phone can return it to its rightful owner.
RELATED: What is “Lost Mode” on iPhone, iPad or Mac?
Scammers can send SMS (like the one) to owners of lost or stolen devices, claiming that the iPhone was found with all the personal data it contained. Allegations are made that photos, contacts, email and text message content, or even banking and other personal information are at risk.
The goal is to convince owners that the device needs to be properly erased to protect that data, and to do that, they need to have access to the device. They will ask the owners to remove the device from “Find My” on iCloud.com to protect the data. In reality, it is very unlikely that they will have access to this data.
Assuming the device has a unique password that is not easy to guess, the chances of this data being accessible to anyone in possession of the phone are slim. All the thieves want is for you to remove the device from your Apple ID remotely so they can use it themselves.
If you doesn’t secure your device with a unique password, thieves will likely send you pictures or screenshots proving they have your device. You can sign in with your Apple ID at iCloud.com and wipe your device remotely in this case (without removing the activation lock). It’s still a good idea to do so, especially if you have a iCloud backup you can restore from.
RELATED: How to Use a More Secure iPhone Passcode
Try Not to Worry About a Long-Lost iPhone
While losing an expensive gadget, Apple’s security measures are quite robust. Get used to using a unique six-digit password (or more) so that if the worst happens, thieves end up with an expensive clipboard. Above all, don’t be fooled by people trying to convince you to turn off Activation Lock by remotely removing the device from your Apple ID.
About lost iPhones, here’s what to do if you find someone’s lost device.