Stolen iPhone Messaging Scams

If you lost your iPhone, it may have been stolen and your troubles may not be over. Because your iPhone is locked down by Apple security, you may now be contacted by a scammer looking to trick you into unlocking it for them.

Comments: 6 Responses to “Stolen iPhone Messaging Scams”

    Sheldon
    7 months ago

    Thanks bunches

    Suzanne
    7 months ago

    Very helpful, I know from experience it's easy to fall for scams so I watched carefully. But, what should one do if one's iPhone is stolen or lost? Simply erase the data and then inform the service provider to devalidate the SIM card?

    Michael
    7 months ago

    Years ago, I created a lock screen wallpaper for my Mac, iPhone and iPads with my name and phone number with the request to contact me by text if found. (I'd still have my other devices and Mac to receive texts). Your warnings in this post were all taken to heart. But what if some good person has found my lost phone and is legitimately following my request on that lock screen? AND, should I retain that lock screen at all? It seemed safe enough but now I'm wondering.

    7 months ago

    Michael: Definitely retain that, and more importantly use Find My iPhone and then put it into Lost Mode with your phone number so someone who finds it can get it to you. It is far more likely that someone will find it and want to return it (usually a professional like a restaurant host or building lost and found) than someone will try to scam you.
    Someone wanting to return it to you would never ask you to unlock or remove your iPhone from your account like in this scam. They would simply try to arrange for you to pick it up.

    Mark A
    6 months ago

    So poignant... My iPhone was stolen last November. Once I realized it had been (shortly thereafter) I immediately logged into iCloud and erased it. I did NOT mark it lost as I knew it had been stolen on purpose. I DID NOT remove it from iCloud after reading the information about what would happen afterwards. I realized that by removing it they could sell it, etc., and I didn't want them to profit from my loss. I wanted them to have a brick.

    Apple cust svc confirmed my reading. Yea!

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