iPhone 'offline' according to Lost My iPhone but someone using my apps with internet

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Level 1

16 points

iPhone 'offline' according to Lost My iPhone but someone using my apps with internet

Hello,

To start, I live in Mongolia. One month ago my iPhone was stollen. As soon as I got home I used "Find My iPhone" on iCloud to try to find the lost phone (it was not online), I set up "Lost Mode", and I clicked "Notify me when found". I went back and checked again a few times the first week after it was lost, but the phone was always offline.

I talked with my sister today and she said that someone else is using my Snapchat account (they didn't bother to change my name). She added the person thinking it was me, and strangely enough that person added her back. We are trying to get more information from that person before they realized I'm trying to get my phone back.

But at the same time, iCloud still says my phone is offline (even when this person is posting to Snapchat).

Snapchat is connected with my phone number, and she shouldn't be able to use my phone number (as I have a new SIM and the old SIM has been shut down). So she must be using the internet.

(To add to the mystery, my phone was locked...)

Any ideas why this person is able to use my app which requires internet, but the phone has not been found by iCloud?

Thanks,

Carrie

iPhone 5, null

Posted on May 8, 2016 9:19 PM

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Answer 1

CarrieMN Author

Level 1

16 points

May 9, 2016 3:20 AM in response to gail from maine

Thank you, Gail. The SIM has been blocked for sure. It is an unlocked phone (we have to get our own SIM cards in Mongolia) so if the other person is using it, it would have to be with a new SIM card or with internet.

I plan to erase the phone if it turns out we can't sleuth it down. My younger siblings are enjoying playing private investigator, and there is nothing that the phone could access that I am worried about (I never had it save passwords for important accounts, etc).

This is what iCloud shows:

Thank you for your help!

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Answer 2

May 9, 2016 3:59 AM in response to CarrieMN

There are ways to use snapchat other than a smart phone. To me, it simply sounds like your SnapChat account has been compromised or hacked and that part of your post has nothing at all to do with your iPhone, missing or otherwise. I would log in to your snapchat account (assuming you still can) and immediately change the password for that account and alert the SnapChat admins that your account is being used without your consent or authorization.

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Answer 3

May 8, 2016 9:36 PM in response to CarrieMN

Well, not sure why the Lost Mode command would not have been processed, since it does appear that the device is online. Have you contacted the carrier to make sure that the old SIM was blocked?

Because if it was connected to Wifi, you would see it as online, and the Lost Mode command would have been executed. Is the Erase option still available on iCloud? If it is, I would suggest that you initiate that. If there is any chance that the person is connecting to Wifi, then the device would be erased the next time they do.

What, exactly do you see when you check your device under the Find My iPhone app on iCloud?

Cheers,

GB

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Answer 4

May 8, 2016 9:38 PM in response to RockstarKB

That is not correct. The police nor the carrier have any way to trace a stolen device. That is done via the Find My iPhone app only. Police have more important things to do than to trace stolen devices (not that they could even if they wanted to). Carriers do not have a way to do it - especially if the SIM has been blocked.

GB

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Answer 5

May 8, 2016 9:30 PM in response to CarrieMN

Contact Carrier & Police & give the IMEI Number of the Phone they will Trace the Device & Recover it Back to you

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Answer 6

CarrieMN Author

Level 1

16 points

May 9, 2016 6:09 PM in response to Michael Black

Thank you, Michael. That makes more sense to me. I'll follow your advice (as well as wiping the phone for whenever it does turn on).

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Answer 7

May 9, 2016 6:51 PM in response to CarrieMN

You're welcome, and I'm sorry your phone was stolen. But definitely take steps to secure your snapchat account as soon as you can. That will shut off the illegal usage of that account.

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Answer 8

May 9, 2016 7:48 PM in response to CarrieMN

You are most welcome! I hope you little detectives will have some luck 🙂

Best of luck,

GB

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