Q: Stolen iPhone 6 (offline, locked) - dissapeared from Find my iPhone/changed iCloud account

Kingoftheuniverse wrote:

 

So they some how, logged in to my iCloud and turned Find My iPhone off. How is this possible?

 

Did you change your iCloud password when the phone was stolen? Did you have 2 step verification enabled?  If not, then the thieves guessed the password or somehow managed to get in to your account.

 

 

Can I do something?

It might be too late but:

If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen - Apple Support

Can Apple block "my" iPhone by IMEI?

No. Contact your carrier. Some carriers offer IMEI blacklisting.

I'm big fan of Apple, but i thought the protection should be stronger.

 

 

It is pretty strong, but protection goes as far as the implementor. You might have the best security system in your house...but if you leave the key under the front door mat....

There is a very real possibility that whoever stole your phone knows you well enough to know, or to have guessed your iCloud password.

It isn't possible. But how do you know they didn't have your password? If you had a password that's easy to guess, or have ever fallen for a phishing attempt, it's quite possible for them to have your password.

It is easy to make an educated guess if the thief has access to some of your personal information. You say you don't remember if the phone was locked or not. How strong was your password? In any case, brute force hacks are also a way for thieves to get to your password. And you did NOT change your password as soon as you discovered that your phone was missing.

Kingoftheuniverse wrote:

 

The 4-digit passcode was easy to guess. Not my full password to iCloud - that was strong, with numbers.

It was random robbery, out of my country in a metro. They really cannot know me or my password.

Don't tell me. It was 1234 or 0000.? Anyways..with protocols such as these, maybe it was easier that you think for the thieves to discover your password. If they got into your phone, there is a lot of personal information there that could have led them to make an educated guess.

All of this is moot, as it seems that your iPhone is gone for good. Sorry about that.

I feel your pain. But in my experience Find my iPhone is very secure and has led to the recovery of 4 devices. (3 left on buses; taxis and trains, one left in a DC restaurant restroom and subsequently stolen). The first thing to do is to change the iCloud password (all passwords if you can) And try implementing 2 step verification next time; it is an added layer of protection.

Frequently asked questions about two-step verification for Apple ID - Apple Support

I had my iPhone 4s stolen along with my purse in June, in Italy. The passcode was not common, and Find my iPhone was on. The first thing the thieves did was turn the phone off, so even though I was almost right outside an Apple store and tried to track it immediately, the best I could do was lock it put it into lost mode. And of course I changed passwords all over the place.

I check iCloud now and then, and the alerts are still there, but none of these protective steps have ever gone into effect, because according to iCloud, the phone has not ever been back online. I find that hard to believe, and wonder what steps the thieves may have taken to reactivate the phone without it ever appearing as online and even though it was locked down. I can tell both from the way the theft happened and also from what I've heard from others who know the location, that these were very professional thieves.

Now I finally have a new iPhone (refurbished 5s) and want to protect it better. Find my iPhone is totally useless if the thieves turn the phone off and then somehow get the it back online while circumventing Find my iPhone. Ideas?

Thanks!

LaurainTorino wrote:

 

 

I find that hard to believe, and wonder what steps the thieves may have taken to reactivate the phone without it ever appearing as online and even though it was locked down.

Not really. They simply took out the SIM and the phone was unable to connect to the cel network.

The thieves are probably waiting long enough for you to stop looking for it (or so they think), then they'll sell it. The good news is, at some point, someone, whether it's the thieves or the new "owner" that they sell it to, will likely intend to actually use the phone. When they try to activate it, even if it's been wiped/restored, the iPhone's Activation Lock feature will kick in and it is still tied to your Apple ID. It will prevent them from activating it, and since the phone has to come online to contact the activation server, you should get notified. I can't make any promises, as I was in a similar situation last year (I wish it was just a simple burglary), and none of the devices stolen have ever come back online. I don't see how they could possibly defeat Activation Lock, though. As I said, even wiping the phone cannot get rid of the lock.

Stevejobsfan0123 said:

"I don't see how they could possibly defeat Activation Lock, though. As I said, even wiping the phone cannot get rid of the lock."

Oh, well that's good to know! I'll keep checking then. It's not that I really think I'm ever going to get it back, but I'd really love to discourage thievery. And I know where they sell most of them :-). It's just not a place that I go often, and it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack if I did.

So they can't even use it at all, if they put in a new SIM?

LaurainTorino wrote:

 

So they can't even use it at all, if they put in a new SIM?

That's correct.