UN-LOCKY!
‘Don’t ever remove it’ say iPhone owners over sinister text request that lets criminals take over your phone
Security experts reveal the best course of action
IF your iPhone is ever stolen, you might receive a terrifying message days or even weeks later.
It will make a very specific request about your Apple ID – but you should simply ignore it.
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Many people find that their stolen phones end up in Hong Kong or China. Reddit has dozens of threads of users using Find My iPhone to trace their lost devices there.
But these "black market" sellers who acquire the phones can't break into them until you remove it from your Apple ID account.
So crooks will commonly text you with extreme threats or sob stories in a bid to make you remove the device from your Apple ID.
One thread reads: "About 4 months ago my phone got stolen in Florida and a couple days ago it showed to be in Hong Kong now.
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"Since then they started to send me messages in which they tried to create a sad story but I never responded.
"Now they are getting more aggressive and sending me threats and other horrific things. What should I do?"
Crooks often use the same copy-and-pasted messages, threatening violence, making you feel guilty, or pretending to be from Apple Support.
Make sure to look out for typos, high-pressure demands, emotive language, and more.
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Importantly, you should avoid removing your iPhone from your Apple ID or Find My app.
Otherwise crooks can wipe your device and sell it on for quick cash.
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One user urged: "Do not remove your Apple ID. They need you to do that otherwise your phone is a paperweight. Block and ignore their threats."
Another said: "Don’t ever remove it, the phone is worthless to them until you remove it."
A 2019 Kaspersky report written by cybersecurity experts gave the same advice.
"Stay calm. Scammers will likely try to rush you into making a snap decision. That’s a standard trick — do not give in," Kaspersky explained.
"Never, ever remove the lost phone from the Find My iPhone app, no matter how hard the scammers pressure you to."
Instead, users are recommended to enable Lost Mode in the Find My iPhone app.
Make sure not to remove your lost phone from your account – or criminals will be able to sell it on for a big profit.
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