Smartphone theft has become a common problem nowadays. Mobile phones and the data they hold are precious to thieves. Recently an iPhone 12 user from Delhi named Vedant took to Twitter to narrate this ordeal about losing his iPhone and how thieves ‘phished’ his Apple ID login details to turn off the ‘FindMy’ location tracking feature.
For those unaware, Apple recently added the FindMy app with the new iOS 15 updates. If your iPhone is stolen and you find that it is turned off, you can still track the location of your iPhone with the help of FindMy Network.
One can disable Find My App tracking only by deleting the iCloud account of the iPhone owner, and that’s what the thieves did. Thieves used phishing scams to steal iCloud login details from Vedant. He received an SMS claiming that his lost iPhone 12 had been found and “temporarily turned on.” The SMS also had a link to track the location of the iPhone. As soon as he clicked on the link, he was asked to enter the login details of his iCloud account. But a panic-stricken Vedant would not pay attention that it is basically a phishing link and will be used to steal the login credentials to turn off the tracking feature.
Phishing awareness/alert 🚨
A thread 🪡
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My iPhone was snatched this weekend while I was waiting at the roadside and using my phone. A pretty common scenario in Delhi from the past few years.— Vedant (@vedantkhanduja) November 9, 2021
The Apple security system in iPhone devices works so that when it is marked as lost, it is locked remotely with a passcode. Moreover, you can also display a custom message with your phone number on the lock screen of your missing device. But for all this, your lost device needs to be connected to the internet.
Since Custom Messages on a lost iPhone display a phone number, scammers are now sending an SMS to that phone number with a link to a phishing website that looks exactly like the iCloud website. The SMS will contain a message like: “Your lost iPhone has been found. “Click here to view location” with a link to a phishing website.
The moment you click on this link to view the location of your lost iPhone, a fake iCloud website that looks exactly like the original will open, asking you to log in with your iCloud ID and password. This phishing website steals your login information and passes it on to thieves so that they can unlock and use your lost iPhone. That’s exactly what happened with Vedant. After doing this, there is very little chance of getting your iPhone back.
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Right after stealing the phone & before I blocked the SIM card. They got the sim out, called themselves from my sim to get the contact number, waited two days for me to reissue the SIM.
Sometimes you think you are smart but you’re not.Stay safe, RT and spread the word
— Vedant (@vedantkhanduja) November 9, 2021
If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen, Apple suggests following a few steps
- Look for your device on a map
- Mark as Lost
- Report your missing device to local law enforcement
- File a Theft and Loss claim
- Remotely erase your device
- Contact your wireless carrier
- Remove your lost device from your account
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