Stolen phone - help?
Discussion
Asking for an actual friend, based on the understanding I have
My friend was mugged for an iPhone late last night, but not by a professional phone thief. She was cat called by a group of lads, called them a
, and they took the phone when rushing her.
Thief kept the phone “running” - immediately reported to NatWest, Police, carrier etc
Thieves spent over £2,000 on the Apple wallet, Natwest STILL haven’t blocked cash flow after pleading -
They changed the passwords to everything (somehow) and comprimised the Apple ID - wiped find my iphone etc
Not knowing the new password, my friend was unable to remotely block the phone because Apple Support wouldn’t play ball. Every time the Apple ID was entered into “Recovery”, the thieves disabled the mode - so they can’t erase the phone because she can’t prove who she is to Apple.
There was no 2FA.
The IMEI number has been blocked by my friend.
The police don’t care and won’t do anything.
Money is still being drained out of the account even though she has been not getting off the phone with Natwest. She will escalate tomorrow.
Action Fraud have been notified.
The idiots have been booking Ubers to their estate and to central London. And buying stuff for
Collection from an Apple store in London so not very bright.
What else can be done?
She is traumatised and distraught.
My friend was mugged for an iPhone late last night, but not by a professional phone thief. She was cat called by a group of lads, called them a
, and they took the phone when rushing her.Thief kept the phone “running” - immediately reported to NatWest, Police, carrier etc
Thieves spent over £2,000 on the Apple wallet, Natwest STILL haven’t blocked cash flow after pleading -
They changed the passwords to everything (somehow) and comprimised the Apple ID - wiped find my iphone etc
Not knowing the new password, my friend was unable to remotely block the phone because Apple Support wouldn’t play ball. Every time the Apple ID was entered into “Recovery”, the thieves disabled the mode - so they can’t erase the phone because she can’t prove who she is to Apple.
There was no 2FA.
The IMEI number has been blocked by my friend.
The police don’t care and won’t do anything.
Money is still being drained out of the account even though she has been not getting off the phone with Natwest. She will escalate tomorrow.
Action Fraud have been notified.
The idiots have been booking Ubers to their estate and to central London. And buying stuff for
Collection from an Apple store in London so not very bright.
What else can be done?
She is traumatised and distraught.
sherman said:
Go to natwest online banking.
Go to Manage my Card
Freeze the card.
Order a new one and order a new PIN
Thanks - going to to make sure she does that.Go to Manage my Card
Freeze the card.
Order a new one and order a new PIN
She is very worried because she was cat called that the cat callers will be stealing her personal photos and social media stuff. I don’t think that she has any compromising photos openly available there but I won’t be asking. But I am disgusted for her. Hence the important need for her to be able to erase the phone
Feel sorry for her.
Going forward, disallow changes to accounts, passcodes & Face ID under Settings/Screen Time/ Contents & Privacy Restrictions which is controlled by a passcode. iCloud account settings are then greyed out and cannot be changed without first turning off the restriction with the passcode.
Going forward, disallow changes to accounts, passcodes & Face ID under Settings/Screen Time/ Contents & Privacy Restrictions which is controlled by a passcode. iCloud account settings are then greyed out and cannot be changed without first turning off the restriction with the passcode.
I had my phone snatched in SoHo couple of months back. I found it amusing as I had the full ‘London experience’ on my first trip back in a while. Everything was insured and Apple have great customer service..I didn’t get stabbed. All will be well, so I thought
Delayed my flight back to America which was the next day and went to Apple. They just shrugged. I had been kicked out of find my iPhone and iCloud by the thieves. Apple said this was impossible and wouldn’t lock my data! When I asked why they stated ‘data protection reasons’. Haha. Told them I didn’t feel very secure knowing Apple wouldn’t protect my data after a mugging…I did not ask for it back, I did not ask for tracking just for it to be locked.
Anyway, I didn’t have a backup passcode set (highly recommend everyone does that). She basically needs to try and gain access so much eventually apples system will twig on and it will freeze the account for a couple of weeks. It will say that when she logs in ‘account frozen until xxxx’. What triggered it for me was I couldn’t enter my Applepay card details as the security check, did that a few times and it then got frozen
Then, she can speak to Apple to have it returned to her.
Block the number
Change main email password so all other accs can be reset securely.
Get Natwest to block the card. I had some Ubers bought on mine. They also tried Apple purchases too but my bank flagged it as fraud (it is an American account)
I then had to fight Apple for 2 months as they wouldn’t cover the loss of my phone as ‘t&c’s state find my iPhone must remain on at all times’. Told them I would secure CCTV of my mugging which they can align with my find my iPhone feature being deactivated and they weren’t interested. After 6 weeks! they declined my claim…. Sent dozens more emails, Apple stopped replying. Bought a new phone then they suddenly reverted their decision and gave me a new phone.
Hope she gets it sorted. You need more police on the streets of London. Apple SUCK BIG HAIRY BALLS. 😂
Delayed my flight back to America which was the next day and went to Apple. They just shrugged. I had been kicked out of find my iPhone and iCloud by the thieves. Apple said this was impossible and wouldn’t lock my data! When I asked why they stated ‘data protection reasons’. Haha. Told them I didn’t feel very secure knowing Apple wouldn’t protect my data after a mugging…I did not ask for it back, I did not ask for tracking just for it to be locked.
Anyway, I didn’t have a backup passcode set (highly recommend everyone does that). She basically needs to try and gain access so much eventually apples system will twig on and it will freeze the account for a couple of weeks. It will say that when she logs in ‘account frozen until xxxx’. What triggered it for me was I couldn’t enter my Applepay card details as the security check, did that a few times and it then got frozen
Then, she can speak to Apple to have it returned to her.
Block the number
Change main email password so all other accs can be reset securely.
Get Natwest to block the card. I had some Ubers bought on mine. They also tried Apple purchases too but my bank flagged it as fraud (it is an American account)
I then had to fight Apple for 2 months as they wouldn’t cover the loss of my phone as ‘t&c’s state find my iPhone must remain on at all times’. Told them I would secure CCTV of my mugging which they can align with my find my iPhone feature being deactivated and they weren’t interested. After 6 weeks! they declined my claim…. Sent dozens more emails, Apple stopped replying. Bought a new phone then they suddenly reverted their decision and gave me a new phone.
Hope she gets it sorted. You need more police on the streets of London. Apple SUCK BIG HAIRY BALLS. 😂
Edited by Frogmella on Monday 9th September 03:58
Somebody said:
Feel sorry for her.
Going forward, disallow changes to accounts, passcodes & Face ID under Settings/Screen Time/ Contents & Privacy Restrictions which is controlled by a passcode. iCloud account settings are then greyed out and cannot be changed without first turning off the restriction with the passcode.
Horrible situation.Going forward, disallow changes to accounts, passcodes & Face ID under Settings/Screen Time/ Contents & Privacy Restrictions which is controlled by a passcode. iCloud account settings are then greyed out and cannot be changed without first turning off the restriction with the passcode.
Thanks for those tips ^^, just done them on my phone.
Frogmella said:
I had my phone snatched in SoHo couple of months back. I found it amusing as I had the full ‘London experience’ on my first trip back in a while. Everything was insured and Apple have great customer service..I didn’t get stabbed. All will be well, so I thought
Delayed my flight back to America which was the next day and went to Apple. They just shrugged. I had been kicked out of find my iPhone and iCloud by the thieves. Apple said this was impossible and wouldn’t lock my data! When I asked why they stated ‘data protection reasons’. Haha. Told them I didn’t feel very secure knowing Apple wouldn’t protect my data after a mugging…I did not ask for it back, I did not ask for tracking just for it to be locked.
Anyway, I didn’t have a backup passcode set (highly recommend everyone does that). She basically needs to try and gain access so much eventually apples system will twig on and it will freeze the account for a couple of weeks. It will say that when she logs in ‘account frozen until xxxx’. What triggered it for me was I couldn’t enter my Applepay card details as the security check, did that a few times and it then got frozen
Then, she can speak to Apple to have it returned to her.
Block the number
Change main email password so all other accs can be reset securely.
Get Natwest to block the card. I had some Ubers bought on mine. They also tried Apple purchases too but my bank flagged it as fraud (it is an American account)
I then had to fight Apple for 2 months as they wouldn’t cover the loss of my phone as ‘t&c’s state find my iPhone must remain on at all times’. Told them I would secure CCTV of my mugging which they can align with my find my iPhone feature being deactivated and they weren’t interested. After 6 weeks! they declined my claim…. Sent dozens more emails, Apple stopped replying. Bought a new phone then they suddenly reverted their decision and gave me a new phone.
Hope she gets it sorted. You need more police on the streets of London. Apple SUCK BIG HAIRY BALLS. ??
Sorry to hear about that, horrid experience.Delayed my flight back to America which was the next day and went to Apple. They just shrugged. I had been kicked out of find my iPhone and iCloud by the thieves. Apple said this was impossible and wouldn’t lock my data! When I asked why they stated ‘data protection reasons’. Haha. Told them I didn’t feel very secure knowing Apple wouldn’t protect my data after a mugging…I did not ask for it back, I did not ask for tracking just for it to be locked.
Anyway, I didn’t have a backup passcode set (highly recommend everyone does that). She basically needs to try and gain access so much eventually apples system will twig on and it will freeze the account for a couple of weeks. It will say that when she logs in ‘account frozen until xxxx’. What triggered it for me was I couldn’t enter my Applepay card details as the security check, did that a few times and it then got frozen
Then, she can speak to Apple to have it returned to her.
Block the number
Change main email password so all other accs can be reset securely.
Get Natwest to block the card. I had some Ubers bought on mine. They also tried Apple purchases too but my bank flagged it as fraud (it is an American account)
I then had to fight Apple for 2 months as they wouldn’t cover the loss of my phone as ‘t&c’s state find my iPhone must remain on at all times’. Told them I would secure CCTV of my mugging which they can align with my find my iPhone feature being deactivated and they weren’t interested. After 6 weeks! they declined my claim…. Sent dozens more emails, Apple stopped replying. Bought a new phone then they suddenly reverted their decision and gave me a new phone.
Hope she gets it sorted. You need more police on the streets of London. Apple SUCK BIG HAIRY BALLS. ??
Edited by Frogmella on Monday 9th September 03:58
How would a backup password have helped you?
bad company said:
Sorry to hear about that, horrid experience.
How would a backup password have helped you?
AppleID>Sign in and Security> Account Recovery.How would a backup password have helped you?
During my hours on the phone with them. They all said I should have this set up. You can create a 28 digit recovery key or have a trusted person have a recovery key.
As I didn't have one. I do not know how it works but I assume it's one that is required if it hits the fan and you speak to Apple. Either in person at the store or on the phone.
I wrote the last message in a bit of a PTSD fury at how s
t Apple are, but to clarify. Apple appear to be unaware/unwilling to acknowledge that a snatched iPhone can have its security systems deactivated. EVEN IF A PASSWORD (not your login passcode) IS NEEDED. Which it is to turn off Find My iPhone, even on an open phone. Interesting tip from Somebody, will look into it now I've woken up here in the US. What I fear about this technique ,is that the thieves can currently override any password requests so can circumvent this. So, create a backup key! It likely needs to be written down unless you can remember 28 characters!
Edited by Frogmella on Monday 9th September 13:59
Adenauer said:
Somebody said:
Feel sorry for her.
Going forward, disallow changes to accounts, passcodes & Face ID under Settings/Screen Time/ Contents & Privacy Restrictions which is controlled by a passcode. iCloud account settings are then greyed out and cannot be changed without first turning off the restriction with the passcode.
Horrible situation.Going forward, disallow changes to accounts, passcodes & Face ID under Settings/Screen Time/ Contents & Privacy Restrictions which is controlled by a passcode. iCloud account settings are then greyed out and cannot be changed without first turning off the restriction with the passcode.
Thanks for those tips ^^, just done them on my phone.
Frogmella said:
So, create a backup key! It likely needs to be written down unless you can remember 28 characters!
Backup key of 28 characters - itlikelyneedstobewrittendown
MesoForm said:
Backup key of 28 characters -
itlikelyneedstobewrittendown
Touche sir, touche! itlikelyneedstobewrittendown
To be honest, I rarely remember my iPhone main password as it's all FaceID and unlock codes these days.
On a serious note, having your phone snatched can be traumatic (I laughed) but for banks, services and phone providers to not support their clients after these incidents was the most distressing part for me.
In the above example, Natwest sound a right set of flutes. They have the ability to remove that device from being used for any electronic/applepay transactions.
I was lucky. American banks make locking down, rectifying fraud charges very easy. First Direct were fantastic when I called them to secure and resolve my UK account.
Given we have such a problem with phone snatching in the UK I would have thought procedures and process were a little better.
Very bad news to have a phone stolen. I cannot offer any advice beyond what's already been said.
One thing that iPhone users can do is to use the 'Screen Time' function for security- putting a password or code for Screen Time.
Settings/Screen Time/Content & Privacy Restrictions/iTunes & App Store Purchases:
And further into Allowed Apps, Photos and numerous other things - including Passcodes, Face ID, Account changes etc.
It just gives an added layer of security and it means if your phone is stolen your Apple ID and numerous other apps can be protected.
One thing that iPhone users can do is to use the 'Screen Time' function for security- putting a password or code for Screen Time.
Settings/Screen Time/Content & Privacy Restrictions/iTunes & App Store Purchases:
And further into Allowed Apps, Photos and numerous other things - including Passcodes, Face ID, Account changes etc.
It just gives an added layer of security and it means if your phone is stolen your Apple ID and numerous other apps can be protected.
NDA said:
Very bad news to have a phone stolen. I cannot offer any advice beyond what's already been said.
One thing that iPhone users can do is to use the 'Screen Time' function for security- putting a password or code for Screen Time.
Settings/Screen Time/Content & Privacy Restrictions/iTunes & App Store Purchases:
And further into Allowed Apps, Photos and numerous other things - including Passcodes, Face ID, Account changes etc.
It just gives an added layer of security and it means if your phone is stolen your Apple ID and numerous other apps can be protected.
As in my case, the thieves were able to gain access my phone via bypassing the password. Not my unlock code, my main password. One thing that iPhone users can do is to use the 'Screen Time' function for security- putting a password or code for Screen Time.
Settings/Screen Time/Content & Privacy Restrictions/iTunes & App Store Purchases:
And further into Allowed Apps, Photos and numerous other things - including Passcodes, Face ID, Account changes etc.
It just gives an added layer of security and it means if your phone is stolen your Apple ID and numerous other apps can be protected.
Whilst I did not have screen time activated they were able to bypass the main IoS password for iCloud and just run amok from there.
hammo19 said:
Sorry to say but that’s the danger of using your phone for payment purposes and everything else in your life. It’s all there for the thief’s.
That's like saying 'well if you put nice things in your house it's your fault if the thieves break in and take it all'.Dear lord.
Frogmella said:
hammo19 said:
Sorry to say but that’s the danger of using your phone for payment purposes and everything else in your life. It’s all there for the thief’s.
That's like saying 'well if you put nice things in your house it's your fault if the thieves break in and take it all'.Dear lord.
30 years ago, if every time you went out you packed up your TV, video, PC, camera, cheque book, photo albums, CD collection, and various important documents, people would think you've gone mad. Nowadays, rightly or wrongly, all that stuff is kept on a small electronic device in your pocket, and it appears it's too easy for it all to go wrong.
Zetec-S said:
Not really.
30 years ago, if every time you went out you packed up your TV, video, PC, camera, cheque book, photo albums, CD collection, and various important documents, people would think you've gone mad. Nowadays, rightly or wrongly, all that stuff is kept on a small electronic device in your pocket, and it appears it's too easy for it all to go wrong.
We're led to believe that our phone and its data is relatively secure. For sure a state actor is getting into your phone no matter what but some low level thief on the street -not so much. 30 years ago, if every time you went out you packed up your TV, video, PC, camera, cheque book, photo albums, CD collection, and various important documents, people would think you've gone mad. Nowadays, rightly or wrongly, all that stuff is kept on a small electronic device in your pocket, and it appears it's too easy for it all to go wrong.
I have on record that Apple would not cover my loss as 'it is impossible to turn off find my iPhone without the iCloud password'. Note the word - impossible. Well, I thought that too and that's why I entrusted Apple with my business. It's clearly not correct.
So by this rationale, if your bank account gets compromised either through a hack or card stolen. You are fair game too?
Frogmella said:
Zetec-S said:
Not really.
30 years ago, if every time you went out you packed up your TV, video, PC, camera, cheque book, photo albums, CD collection, and various important documents, people would think you've gone mad. Nowadays, rightly or wrongly, all that stuff is kept on a small electronic device in your pocket, and it appears it's too easy for it all to go wrong.
We're led to believe that our phone and its data is relatively secure. For sure a state actor is getting into your phone no matter what but some low level thief on the street -not so much. 30 years ago, if every time you went out you packed up your TV, video, PC, camera, cheque book, photo albums, CD collection, and various important documents, people would think you've gone mad. Nowadays, rightly or wrongly, all that stuff is kept on a small electronic device in your pocket, and it appears it's too easy for it all to go wrong.
I have on record that Apple would not cover my loss as 'it is impossible to turn off find my iPhone without the iCloud password'. Note the word - impossible. Well, I thought that too and that's why I entrusted Apple with my business. It's clearly not correct.
So by this rationale, if your bank account gets compromised either through a hack or card stolen. You are fair game too?
So when they snatched the phone, the screen was unlocked? so that would give them access to reset stuff like phone unlock code etc but surely Apple requires you to enter a password to reset screen unlock code/fingerprint/face etc?
I'm guessing they reset your apple password using 2FA on the phone/text/email?
I'm guessing they reset your apple password using 2FA on the phone/text/email?
Zetec-S said:
You have misunderstood my comment, I am not victim blaming. Merely pointing out the drawbacks of having everything in one device. Nothing is "unhackable", the security is only as good as the latest software update.
Apple stated in writing and verbally whilst discussing my case that it is 'impossible' for iCloud to be accessed without the password. the-norseman said:
So when they snatched the phone, the screen was unlocked? so that would give them access to reset stuff like phone unlock code etc but surely Apple requires you to enter a password to reset screen unlock code/fingerprint/face etc?
I'm guessing they reset your apple password using 2FA on the phone/text/email?
100% correct. They can still access your phone, but cannot change most things without the password. In my instance I had 2FA, but the password was not changed via email/phone/text but via other means. Apple stated this is 'impossible'.I'm guessing they reset your apple password using 2FA on the phone/text/email?
For me, I got back to the hotel at Heathrow, pulled out my MacBook and had been kicked out of iCloud and found an email saying Find My iPhone had been disabled.
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