Losing your iPhone can be stressful and frustrating. Scammers seek to capitalize on the anxiety of distraught iPhone owners looking for their lost devices. These unscrupulous people have hatched various plans to take advantage of this situation and make a quick profit. This context is critical to understanding the concerns raised by Donald, who wrote to us regarding lost iPhone fraud. Donald, a resident of Saginaw, Michigan, shared his experience:
“I lost my Apple iPhone 6, and I’ve found a number of online scams claiming to find it for as little as 89 cents. They promised to contact me within 3 hours, but instead they charged me a $48 annual fee. I received the bill.”
In addition to the scams Donald encountered, some scammers pretend to have found or purchased a lost or stolen cell phone and offer to delete sensitive data for a small fee.
Although you can’t control the loss of your iPhone, there are some proactive steps you can take to make it easier to recover your device and data. Even if you permanently lose your iPhone, you can still take steps to protect your personal information.
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iPhone with security on the home screen (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
Steps to protect yourself if your iPhone is lost or stolen
There are many ways to find your lost iPhone, and many security features require access to another device or iCloud.com account. Always make sure that Location services Must be valid and configured “Find my iPhone” others Built-in security features It runs on your iPhone as soon as you activate your phone. These steps will maximize your ability to restore your iPhone if it’s lost or stolen. Here are steps you can take to protect yourself if your iPhone is lost or stolen.
1) Activate and use the Find My app
If Find My is set up on your iPhone, you can find your phone using another Apple device or by logging in to iCloud.com. Want step-by-step guidelines on how to find your iPhone using “Find My”? Find out how to find your lost iPhone.
Find iCloud devices (Apple) (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
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2) Make a sound
If you have Find My enabled on your iPhone, you can log on to iCloud.com or another Apple device and select Play Sound in your iPhone profile. If your iPhone is nearby, you can listen to the sounds it plays to help you find it.
Play sound on iPhone (Apple) (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
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3) Mark your iPhone as lost
If you have Find My iPhone enabled, you can mark your iPhone as lost by logging on to iCloud.com or another Apple device. iPhone options[紛失としてマークする]If you select , your phone will be locked and a message will appear with your contact information.
Mark as lost on iPhone (Apple) (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
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4) Turn on “Activation Lock”
Turning on Find My on your iPhone automatically turns on Activation Lock on your device. As long as Find My is set up on your iPhone, even if someone finds or steals your lost phone, Activation Lock prevents anyone from activating your iPhone without your Apple ID or passcode. Masu. This is true even if your data has been wiped or your phone has been factory reset.
iPhone becomes locked to owner (Apple) (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
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5) Set up “Stolen Device Protection”
“Stolen device protection” Can provide an additional layer of protection. This feature provides an extra layer of protection when your iPhone leaves familiar locations like work or home. When this feature is turned on and your device is away from a familiar location, Face ID or Touch ID is required for biometric authentication to access sensitive iPhone features such as passwords and credit card information. It will be. In addition, a security delay is now enabled, causing a one-hour delay when you perform security actions such as changing your Apple ID password and using Face ID or Touch ID authentication outside of familiar locations. Masu. Follow these steps to set up Stolen Device Protection on your iPhone.
- go to setting Apps on iPhone
- Tap Face ID and passcode (or Touch ID and passcode for older models)
- Please enter your iPhone passcode To access settings
- Scroll down to find Stolen device protection option. Tap that and Please switch it on
iPhone stolen device protection (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
6) Check your Google Maps timeline
If you have Location History enabled Google Maps app On your iPhone, you may be able to see your iPhone’s last known location when you sign in to Google Maps on your desktop or another device. We hope you can follow the steps and recover your iPhone. To check your Google Maps timeline, follow these steps:
- on your desktop or another device. Google Maps website or app
- Login Using the Google Account linked to your iPhone
- On your desktop, menu icon (3 horizontal lines) in the upper left corner
- choice your timeline From the menu
- will be displayed. map A timeline of your location history is also displayed.
- use. Calendar function Select the date you lost your iPhone
- Please look for. Last recorded location Show your iPhone on a map
- Please be careful time and place to follow in my footsteps
- last visit known location To search your iPhone
- If the location is a public place, ask around or contact a lost and found service.
7) Contact authorities
After trying various methods to find your lost iPhone, or contacting or experiencing suspicious people or activities, you may unfortunately discover that your iPhone has been stolen. In either case, you should report your iPhone lost or stolen to your local police department. If turned in or found, you have a good chance of being reunited with your device. If it is stolen, the police will protect you from further problems.
A woman operating an iPhone (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Knutson)
8) Contact carrier
Contact your carrier as soon as possible to locate your device, freeze access to your account, or restrict use of your device.
Cart important points
An iPhone is an expensive investment that does more than perform practical functions. Private personal information is also stored. That’s why losing your iPhone can cause panic and feel like a huge loss. Enable security features built into most new iPhones, such as “Find My” and “Find My.” “Stolen device protection” It will go a long way in recovering your iPhone or at least minimizing the risk of your data falling into the wrong hands. If you discover that your iPhone has fallen into the hands of a thief or scammer, be sure to take the issue and evidence directly to your local law enforcement and contact your carrier.
Have you turned on any of these built-in security features? Have you ever lost or stolen your iPhone? Email us at What did you do when you realized your iPhone was lost or stolen? . Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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