Was given a MacBook air but it is activation locked I can't get the previous owner

Said :terrylamb1967b

"Was given a MacBook air but it is activation locked I can't get the previous owne: Can I bypass the activation lock on a macbook"

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Getting your Money Back:

Seems like a scam., though an assumption on my part. Next time, request a Logout.

A. Take this as a learning experience:

The next time you purchase an Apple device, then make sure that you can log into it. Have the original user use this site: What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac Apple Support.

B. Before Buying:

Request that you are able to log into it, and assign it to your account, prior to having over the money. If the seller dis-abides by those rules, then do not proceed with the purchase.

C. Returning this to the Seller:

Where was this Purchased?:

• A Retailer: If purchased at a retail store - talk to the store manager and see if a refund is an option.

• A Web site: If purchased on a Web site (i.e. eBay), view the Terms & Conditions and see what can be sone on their part, if they did not abide by the rules.

• In-Person: If purchased in-person, and they do not get back to you, then there may be nothing you can do. That's just the way it is :(

No, you cannot. You need to contact the previous owner to have it removed, or else you have a fancy paperweight. That's the whole point of Activation Lock.

The only exception is for organization-managed Macs (e.g. company-provided) where the organization is the actual owner. If the Mac is enrolled in Mobile Device Management (MDM), the Activation Lock can be removed – but the Mac must have been enrolled in the enterprise MDM program prior to Activation Lock being activated. The idea there is if an employee leaves the company and fails to deactivate with their AppleID, the company is not left with a dead computer.

I know. Actual Activation Lock requires the T2 chip.

But prior to the T2 chip being a thing, Apple was using a Cloud lock that may appear as activation lock. Macs could simply be restored to bypass that.

Depends on the exact model.

Pre 2018 models can be restored without any issue. See here: About macOS Recovery - Apple Support

On post 2018 models with the T2 chip, it cannot be bypassed.

Models without a T2 chip don't have Activation Lock.

About Activation Lock on your Mac