Let’s say you’ve lost your iPhone. You misplaced it in a public space, can’t find it, have grieved over it, and now it’s time to move on and decide if you want to buy a new phone and which model you should look into. Sounds typical so far, but the next scenario that could happen to you isn’t quite what it seems.
@cathypedrayes This won’t get your phone back but why help them?! Let ‘em stare at the useless phone they stole 🙃 #scamalert #security #safetytips #onlinesafety #cybersecurity #psa #iphone
If your phone has gotten lost or stolen and you receive a mysterious text message from someone claiming they purchased your stolen phone (and the texts arrive under the guide of trying to be “helpful”), make sure you are on guard — it could be a sneaky iPhone scam that thieves are using to steal your personal information.
The text message sender will begin by saying they’ve purchased your stolen phone and are able to see all of your text messages and credit cards, as well as more personal information. You gasp — this is bad, you think. But the next text will make you think the stranger doesn’t actually want anything from you — they just want to warn you to remove the stolen phone from your Apple ID. How lovely and helpful, right?
Wrong. Here’s why one text experts say “don’t do it.”
When your phone is set up on FindMy it’s also locked with Activation Lock, which can’t be undone with the factory reset. This is the entire reason why the thief is texting you out of “concern.” They’re not worried about your data, they’re trying to make it easier on themselves to gain access to your device and all of your personal data, which is incredibly valuable to a thief.
Report the theft to your phone carrier and log into your Apple ID account from another device so that you can change all of your passwords. Notify your bank and credit card companies of the theft and consider remote data wiping so that you can erase all of your data from your phone using Find My.
