iPhone 6s Plus STOLEN and LOST MODE PENDING FOREVER

Was Find My enabled?

Open the Find My app. Choose the Devices tab or the Items tab. Select your missing device or item, then choose Play Sound. If your device is offline, it won't play a sound until it connects to a network.

Use the Find My app to locate a missing device or item

If Find My [device] was not turned ON before your device was lost or stolen, it can't be used to locate a device nor one can use the IMEI number for tracking a device. The best action would be to Change the Apple ID password and change the passwords for other internet accounts that were used on the device. This can include email accounts, Facebook, Twitter, etc...

Don'ts

If the device is removed from an account after it is erased, Activation Lock will be turned off. This allows another person to turn on and use the device.

An example of my iPhone 5 is given in the GIF below. There is no "Undo" after you remove it from your account.

Find IMEI & Serial No. of the Lost Device

1. If an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost or stolen - Apple ...
2. Find the serial number or IMEI on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod ...

You may use a web browser to get the Serial Number and the IMEI Number. You cannot track using the IMEI number. but you may need it so keep it handy

Log in to https://appleid.apple.com with your Apple ID credentials. All your devices will be listed there. Click on any to get the details.

Do's, If you had enabled "Find My" before it was lost

• Mark As Lost.
• Erase your device. If your missing device is covered by AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, you shouldn't erase your device. Instead, file a claim for your lost or stolen device.
• 

Beware of Phishing!

Be careful and be smart to --> Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phoney support calls ...

Note: Apple will never send you any info on Lost/Found iPhones. It (Phishing) may appear as the image given below.

Switched Off? Still traceable

Even if the iPhone is switched off it is findable, see the pic below.

Device Offline?

I see my device in Find My, but it's offline

If you see "Offline," "No location available," or "Location Services Off," your device might be offline for one of these reasons:

Don't see your device?

• You might not have Find My turned on.
• If you're using the Find My app, you can't see your device's location if more than 7 days have passed since its last location was sent to Apple.
• If you're using iCloud.com/find, you can't see your device's location if it's powered off, the battery has run out, or more than 24 hours has passed since its last location was sent to Apple.
• Learn how you can still protect your information.

Macvivientes wrote:

Thats kind of a relief to know Tim, thank you!

I won't remove it from my devices.

Can they still wipe it the phone like ''flash it'' or whatever is called and install a fresh IOS so they can use it as a new phone? And if thats the case will the phone still connect to apple to activate Lost Mode?

Yes, but it will still be activation locked.

And I am probably being paranoid but I thought I speak my mind...since 6 digits passcode is 1 million possibilities, could someone take the time (or use some kind of computer software) to try 1 million times to find out the passcode is? or thats is just plain nonsense?

The phone will go to disabled mode after 10 failed attempts, so they can’t try 1 million times, only 10.

The main thing to watch out for is a phishing message, as already mentioned. Beware of a common phishing scam: You may get a text or email from “Apple” or “Apple Security” (or sometimes “Police”) saying your phone has been found and to click on a link to see its location. This is NEVER from Apple or from law enforcement; it is from the thief or fence to steal your Apple ID and identity. Delete any such message without responding to it. Apple never gets involved in lost or stolen devices→Avoid phishing emails, fake ‘virus‘ alerts, phony support calls, and other scams

The only way it can connect to the Internet is if it has cellular data or a WiFi connection. Since it’s locked with a passcode, whoever has it won’t be able to join it to a WiFi network. They have probably already dumped it. Do NOT remove it from the list of devices. If you do so, it will become usable by whoever has it.

Macvivientes wrote:

Regarding ''still be activation locked'', according to iCloud the iPhone is still LOCK MODE PENDING... so activation locked will still be relevant if the iPhone is flashed?

Yes. As long as you do not remove it from Find My...activation lock will remain on.

Activation lock is a feature of Apple’s iCloud; it does not reside solely on the phone. If the phone is ever powered on it will still ask for a passcode, and if it is connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network it will display the Lost message. But it still can’t be used, because the first thing that happens if it is powered on with a connection is the phone will activate with iCloud and prompt for the Apple ID and password. Which the current holder won’t know.

Many stolen phones are just shipped to factories in Shenzhen, China, where they are prepared for resale to unsuspecting customers. This is a huge business, so that’s one reason that you may not see your phone powered on and connected to a network for a long time, if ever. But as long as it is still attached to your Apple ID no one will be able to use it. If you really want to know the details, here’s an informative video on it (once you get past the ads)→https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ws3YptLmLQ

I activated Lost Mode but is still Pending.

It is pending because the phone's battery has run down or the phone does not have Internet connection wherever it is located now.

If the phone has good power and a good Internet connection, the process will take place.

But after a month, the chances of this occurring are just about zero. Don't remove it from your list of Apple devices.

By the way I have reported to Apple the fake iCloud link they sent me

The link was not from Apple as you can easily see. Apple or Apple Service will never send out the kind of "link" that you saw. This was a scam, that was trying to trick you into providing information to unlock the phone.