Q: Remove find my phone without previous user

Hi Apple Community. This is my first post but a challenge for me I am not able to solve regarding iphones. I am sure this one has been asked a lot, as it causes a lot of headaches for my IT department globally and I am sure many others. How can I remove find my phone when the old user of the iphone that was returned to me left my workplace and can't be contacted?

This person left the company disgracefully and I think they did it on purpose in this scenario just to get back at their employers, who rightfully sacked them for gross misconduct. This is the first time I have been faced with this situation, as usually there is a checklist followed for leavers which was not followed in this special case of a very sudden sacking! I feel sorry for them, but given what I know, they deserved to lose their post. I can't discuss that one in more detail to protect those involved! It's a wasted iPhone 5s 16GB model and it's a shame to not make use of it again.

My issue now is that I don't want a brick on my hands and would like to reallocate it within the company rather than just use it for spare parts, as it's in very good condition. It doesn't show the full email address of the apple ID after a software update and restore, so I can't even email the previous user's personal email now, and I can't get past the lock to get any further to setup the iphone for someone else, they locked it to their private hotmail from what I can tell by the given letters. Previous user also moved country, and didn't ever give out their personal phone numbers just to add to the fun, so all of the personnel records we have for this person are useless to try and reach them. Tried facebook and Twitter too, nothing under the users real name.

I can prove purchase of the phone from the network operator to our company address which is a good start. What is the step by step process to unlock it please anyone? Would appreciate your help community. I know you are a clever bunch from what I have read here today :-)

So to recap in easy terms: Apple ID and Password both unknown with Find my phone switched on with an iPhone and preventing anyone else from using it until unlocked, previous user is uncontactable!

Is there a support article on Apple's site that explains the process of what I need to do from beginning to end? I can't find it if there is one. Feel free to enlighten me if you know, purely for one-upmanship and being a good sport :-)

I guess I would have to somehow prove to the Apple support guys that I purchased the phone, by scan to email or fax, maybe give them the previous users name, or answer further security questions, but not sure what they would need from me to progress this request, and they may be able to unlock it from Apple's side if I pass their security questions.

But I am not sure of the exact process and would like to document it correctly as a knowledge base solution for my team. I am in no way looking to circumvent the security of find my phone as an anti-theft measure, and don't wish to add to the problem of people stealing other's phones to reuse them or sell them on. I have to play this one by the book, as it will be a company process. White hat solution would be perfect for this issue.

With the grey hat on though, out of interest on this, and correct me if I am wrong, nobody has produced a standalone tool / utility to remove find my phone without the apple id and password yet from what I can see, and I also can't find a paid service other than apple support for this problem either. Would love your comments and brain power people :-)

Thanks in advance, Glenn Roast BSc(Hons) MBCS CITP DCSE MCP