LOST PHONE

i put it on lost mode

Got that.

but it was later erased

If you did not do this, then someone who had your Apple ID and Password did this. They could not have done this unless they knew your credentials, or you gave it to them via an email or text.

If you got a message from "Apple", it was not from Apple. It was a scam to steal your personal info.

how can I retrieve it

Sorry, but you will never see the phone again.

When you say it was erased, do you mean that you no longer have the device on Find My. That can only be done if someone knows your Apple ID Password and turned off Find My. There is no other way to track your iPhone without Find My.

If you provided contact details when you put it into Lost Mode, many times the thief will send you a message claiming to be from Apple and wanting your Password. This would be one way how that could have happened.

Tenaj0813 wrote:

but it was later erased

How might this have happened? Did the thief know your Apple ID and password? Was your iPhone poorly protected, perhaps without a passcode for example? Did you erase it remotely?

The answer will determine whether it’s even possible to locate the iPhone.

If your iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen - Apple Support