According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, some thieves use the passcode to ruin their victims. These types of attacks are on the rise across the United States. In the hope of seeing their iPhone unlocked, criminals start by spying on their target in various public places, such as bars, restaurants or nightclubs.
What is the modus operandi?
To achieve this, the thug comes into contact with the targeted people. Interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, the victims explained that the thefts took place during an evening during which they interacted with people they did not know.
Thieves ask to take a selfie or access a social network. By observing their victim, they try to locate the access code to unlock the iPhone. Once the code has been spotted, the criminal just has to steal the phone. In some cases, the phone is then snatched from their hands in the middle of the street. The victims are sometimes assaulted during the theft or drugged.
Thieves are then able to remove and reset the victim’s Apple ID password. They have access to all financial accounts and applications.
When the victim realizes that his iPhone has been stolen, it is unfortunately too late because the password was quickly changed without his knowledge, so it is no longer possible to lock the device remotely or activate the Lost Mode in iCloud.com
Whether it is an iPhone or an Android smartphone, someone who steals your smartphone can easily access your data without any difficulty. Often users use the same combination at the access code level. It is therefore easy for these criminals to make transfers when the iPhone is in their possession.
Prioritize the FaceID or TouchID biometric security measure
Wherever you are, it is important to focus on the biometric security measure of your iPhone (FaceID or TouchID). If you need to unlock your device using a numeric or alphanumeric code, it should be done out of sight.
On the other hand, once the victim is totally tipsy or unaware of what is happening, New York authorities point out that FaceID and TouchID did not prevent thieves from unlocking the phone with the user’s head or finger. Also, if the thief has the passcode, they can bypass Face ID or Touch ID.
A vulnerability that Apple must fix
Apple is quite concerned about this issue in order to protect its reputation; The Californian giant indicated that it took this situation seriously, and assured that it would improve the security of its devices following the investigation by the Wall Street Journal.