iCloud account hijacked

Question

Level 1

8 points

iCloud account hijacked

My friend’s iCloud account has been hijacked by a control freak ‘ex’ & used extensively for spying & harassment. A new iCloud account was set up with Apple’s assistance but the verification code was sent to the ‘ex’ & this has been hijacked too. Both phones & Macbook are compromised & about to be thrown out. Can Apple forcibly remove these devices from the affected accounts so that they can be used without fear of being spied on again? Yes, police are involved... The ‘ex’ changed the iCloud password immediately after it was created & changed security questions. !!! Any suggestions? Have tried erasing iPhones & starting from scratch with new AppleID, but it’s still linked to find my iPhone on the ‘ex’ controlled iCloud accounts

iPhone 6, iOS 10.3.3

Posted on Nov 5, 2017 11:44 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Nov 6, 2017 12:05 AM in response to recrem

Hi recrem,

That certainly sounds quite bizarre! I'm sorry you're experiencing issues with your iPhone. What you can try is complete disassociation from current services that you're utilizing. Security is obviously a concern here, so I'll try to keep things simple for you:

Create a new email address, or better yet, use iCloud.
Create a new Apple ID with a password that differs from anything your friend has used before.
Erase the iPhone completely (See: How to erase your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support), and do not restore from a backup.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication on the new account

This should stop any unauthorised access to the iCloud account. If your friend is willing to, I’d certainly suggest going to his carrier and having them remove any co-signatories to the service, and having the phone number associated with the service changed. If you’re following that path, have his carrier deactivate any SIM cards currently in use.

If you have any further questions, queries or concerns, please don't hesitate to reply to the thread as I'm following it.

Best of luck!

Reply

Answer 2

Nov 6, 2017 12:23 AM in response to recrem

Hi recrem,

I can't imagine what your friend is experiencing, and I express my sympathies. I'm not so sure about the MacBook, but for the iPhones at least, if you're unable to sign out of iCloud, you can always forcefully reset the devices. There are two ways of achieving this:

Take the device to an Apple Store, present proof of purchase and have a technician reset the device
Do it yourself from home with iTunes (See: Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support)

If you need to get in touch with Apple Support, you can do so at getsupport.apple.com.

If you have any further questions, queries or concerns, please don't hesitate to reply to the thread as I'm following it.

Best of luck!

Reply

Answer 3

Nov 5, 2017 11:50 PM in response to recrem

Hi recrem,

Unfortunately, there is no way for Apple to mitigate account access concerns by forcefully changing values, or the devices associated with an Apple ID.

What you can do instead, is create a new Apple ID with a new phone number and email account and activate Two-Factor Authentication on the Apple ID. You can read about activating Two-Factor Authentication here: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT204915

If you have any further questions, queries or concerns, please don't hesitate to reply to the thread as I'm following it.

Best of luck!

Reply

Answer 4

recrem Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 5, 2017 11:58 PM in response to CheapApples12

This is the exact process that was followed. While at an Apple store with an expert watching, the two factor verification got sent to the ‘ex’ & a fake one sent to that iPhone (which didn’t work). By the time they tried accessing iCloud, the password had been changed & also the secret questions. Apple has no idea how two verification codes could have been sent out. The iPhone remains in control of a hacker & no evidence to pin on him. Frustrating!!!

Reply

Answer 5

recrem Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 6, 2017 12:17 AM in response to CheapApples12

I’m going to try this process myself, although without being able to sign out from iCloud (password doesn’t work) I think it might not be successful. There is definitely next level hacking going on that had just about ruined this lovely person’s life. They were worn down that they can’t fight anymore & I’ve stepped in to help. If I can figure out how it’s being done, I’ll be taking it to the computer criminal investigation unit. Imagine having 2 iPhones & a MacBook that are in very good condition & relatively current that you just can’t use!

Reply