Find my iphone Scam?

Question

Find my iphone Scam?

Hello all,

I think I was just involved in a possible "find my iphone" scam and I wanted to share, compare, and communicate my experience to hear of any solutions or repeated incidents.

I was tragically pick pocketed last week in Barcelona, Spain and quickly activated my "lost mode" on find my iphone. I decided to let it stay on lost mode instead of erasing it because I was feeling hopeful. I used my friend's phone number as the "to contact if lost" number and let it sit. I heard nothing until today where my friend received a text saying "Find my iPhone service: Your iphone 5s 32 Gb Gold lost/stolen has been found. You can reclaim it now at http://AppleINC.info this is last call."

I of course followed the link to find a icloud log in screen which led me to a map of a small city in Ecuador. The map was unadjustable meaning I couldn't zoom in or move the map in any way. To take a better look I logged into icloud on my laptop and found my iphone listed as "offline" still. I clicked on my iphone and then it opened the screen from which I could choose "play sound", "lost mode", and "erase". I tried to click lost mode again and got a message that my phone had been erased and couldn't be tracked or found anymore.

I am still able to open the map of Ecuador where my phone "is located" and I opened up a tab on my laptop with both icloud.com and this appleINC.info and there are slight differences with the font and layout which has led me to believe that they have created a fake page and somehow by logging into this other page I gave them access to disengage my "find my iphone" settings and possibly my apple ID is now compromised. It's the only explanation I can think of where I could see my iphone as offline one second and suddenly it's been deleted from my account the next.

And now of course that I am looking back on the situation I can't think of find my iphone being activated and yet I receive no email from apple just a text saying "last call". Anyways, I hope my story helps someone else in the future not get double tricked by some dubious spaniards. Thanks!

iPhone 5s, iOS 8.1.1, 32GB

Posted on Jun 19, 2015 3:10 PM

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Answer 1

alph74

Level 1

4 points

Aug 20, 2017 1:31 PM in response to lmdeutschland

Same thing has happened to me last week - my iPhone7 has been stolen in Barcelona. I went immediately to my hotel, took my iPad and used the Find My iPhone app to block the stolen iPhone and erase it as well. I have reported the incident to the local police office in there.

In the meantime I bought a new iPhone and kept my old phone number. I got several phone calls from unknown callers and callers with hidden ID. Moreover, I got some of them in the middle of the night. I haven't answered any of them.

This morning I got a text message:

"Apple Report.

Your lost iPhone has been located at 12:40 PM on August 20, 2017.

Check location at http//:apple.com.trace-location.cf/

Apple Support"

I have clicked the link and a Find My iPhone appeared in a new window with the login boxes. As I have entered my apple ID and password, I got an instant message saying that my apple ID is being used to login near Paris and Bucharest. I have realised only then it was a scam. I have immediately reset my password and contacted the apple customer service to check all is fine with my account.

I hope my story helps.

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Answer 2

Rysz

Level 8

44,551 points

Jun 19, 2015 3:46 PM in response to lmdeutschland

Change your Apple ID password as soon as possible. If it's already too late because the perpetrators changed it, contact Apple Support and close your credit card accounts.

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Answer 3

Jun 20, 2015 1:48 AM in response to Rysz

Contacting apple support is actually harder than I thought it would be :/... There's only a general phone number and to submit any sort of question you need a serial number. So far not impressed with the accessibility. I am still in Europe but now without a phone.

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Answer 4

Rysz

Level 8

44,551 points

Jun 20, 2015 8:32 AM in response to lmdeutschland

http://www.apple.com/support/appleid/

Select the Contact Support option.

If you're near an Apple Store, you might try that, too.

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Answer 5

Jun 28, 2016 7:30 AM in response to lmdeutschland

Hi Imdeutschland

I have just had the exact same experience as you! Out in Barcelona last week and phone was taken. Gave my friends number and we have just received the same text message. Thanks to your message here though I will not be following the link and inputting my AppleID and password as it did all seem a little too good to be true so I googled this first!

Thank you for sharing your story and saving me the pain of renewing my Apple Password and bank details etc.

This is obviously very organised crime!! As the link to the webpage is very real looking and since this has happened to me a year later than Imdeutschland it is something Apple should be aware of and should (hopefully) work with the local police to combat!!!

This link to the FAKE icloud site is here: apple.claim.verifications.es

S

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Answer 6

Ralph9430

Level 7

22,180 points

Jun 28, 2016 8:07 AM in response to lmdeutschland

The link you were given is an attempt by the thief or someone the thief sold the phone to to get you to give them your Apple ID ad password so they may in the least activate your iPhone. At the most they will get the info needed to enter your Apple ID account. Do not provide any information on that screen.

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