My phone suddenly locked up and asks for a passcode. I didnt set up a passcode in the first place and so its effectively locked me out. How do I unlock and access my phone again

The iPhone cannot generate and apply its own passcode. If the device is asking for a passcode, one was put on it. If you do not know the passcode, you will have to restore the device to factory to remove it. See this support document. If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support

Have a look at this thread. Someones gotten access to your iCloud.com account and locked your device - For macs, if they have set a pincode, it will be a firmware lock and you will have to take it in store to Apple to unlock.

https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/6kmtsz/someone_hacked_into_my_twofactor_ account_turned/?utm_source=amp&utm_mediu…

What have you done? Try powering the device off and back on. If that does not help, then do a force restart on the device, holding the sleep/wake and home buttons together until you see the Apple logo and then release. If you are using an iPhone 7 series device, then hold the sleep/wake and volume down buttons until you see the Apple logo and then release. Check once the phone reboots. If you still see a passcode screen, then use the support document I provided earlier to restore the device

hi I have the same problem... seems that someone entered in my icloud profile and set up my iphone as lost and put a code on it. this morning when i woke up i found this message on my iphone screen "write email to : help.apple.us@gmail.com" to unlock the iphone put the code. I put my code and it doesn't work, i took an old iphone that it was working and that i had erased, i configured it with my apple id and when it was connected to internet first time...zac the iphone was blocked again and i had the same message on the screen... what can i do now??

Hi, I also got the same exact message with the same exact email and it is sure that someone logged in into my iCloud and locked my iPhone and Macbook Pro.

If you emailed them, you will be told to pay 50$. It is a ransomware. I havent paid yet.

Did you pay them already? Did you get the code? Is it the correct one?

Hi,

I also have this exact same problem with the exact email "help.apple.us@gmail.com"

I have paid him 30USD but he won't give me the code. So, DON'T PAY.

The FIRST thing you could do is try the code 9169, this code works for me, why do I know it? I FUKIN TRIED FROM 0000-9999 in the efi lock screen.

What happen if the code 9169 is incorrect? Try brute forcing the code in EFI lock (press alt when you boot up, it should have padlock and no cooldown timer). Try from 9000 to 9999 first, then 8000 to 8999. Because I think the code would be more than 7000.

Good luck!

Note: This ransomware happen from a downloaded pirated Photoshop crack from thepiratebay / extra.to BE CAREFUL

For all the people that have had this issue. I was able to find a solution. My mac was locked and when I power on my computer it only shows: "To unlock your computer write to: help.apple.us@gmail.com". First of all that is not an official Apple email, so don't write them otherwise they will ask you for money in exchange of the unlock code. This happens whenever someone gets access to your iclould account, they flag your device as stolen and set up a 4 digits pin code and there is no way you can get that 4 digits pin code as this number is only set up at the moment the computer is flagged as stolen. As there is no way to get the unlock code no matter if you have access to your icloud account or not, the only way to get your computer unlocked is directly to Apple, you can take your computer to any Apple store with a proof of purchase, and they will unlock it for you, it's free and it only takes a few minutes.

That popup is not from Apple. It may be that your device received a flash message. What were you doing when you received this "message"?

If the device is not jailbroken, then it wouldn't be a virus. There is no way to backup the device at this time, and the restore will erase all data.

You're welcome.