My friend's iPhone was hacked and now his iphone reports that it has been locked by the owner. At the same time, my friend is the owner of the phone. It contains all the receipts and the box of the device. The hacker is demanding a ransom on the Telegram social network. How can he restore access to his device now?
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: Hacked device
iPhone 15 Plus
This is frequently posted if a person was taken in by a scam. It wasn't "hacking" as such, just somebody not thinking what would happen if they signed in with a different user's account.
Refer to How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support There are only two ways to remove a lock:
#1 If you have the necessary information you or the signed in owner can do this yourself by simply signing in with the owner account and password information. If you use this method and this is a new device to you, follow unlocking by doing as outlined in What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support or What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support . If you do not have the required information then you can try method 2 —>
#2 Apple can completely reset a device if a person can provide sufficient evidence of valid ownership. Read the requirements and steps for an Activation Lock support request at: https://al-support.apple.com/#/additional-support and links at the bottom right for the type of service requested. Apple says they may require "proof of purchase documentation” and that you need “proof of ownership documentation”, but does not detail what currently constitutes proof other than it “must include the product serial number, IMEI or MEID.” User reports on this community indicate that typically Apple will ONLY accept an original receipt issued by Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller. Presumably this is the only kind Apple can authenticate against fraud since Apple is not involved in third party sales. Apple recommends that you "Keep your receipt after you buy an Apple device" --> Keep your receipt after you buy an Apple device - Apple Support
Note that the device cannot have Lost Mode set on it. If your device has been taken over by you having entered a scammer’s Account then the scammer has likely set that too and the device is lost to you.
If Apple resets the device this will give you access to the device but won't restore access to the account used to lock it. There is nothing that can be done to expedite an Activation Lock request.
If you cannot get the device unlocked then read this section from the very bottom of Apple Trade In - Apple :
"Does Apple offer recycling?
Yes. Apple Trade In lets you recycle any Apple device (including devices from Apple-owned brands) at any Apple Store and on https://www.apple.com/ for free. That includes your batteries and old electronic products as well as free, on-demand packaging recycling for our commercial, education, and institutional customers. When we receive your device, it will be thoroughly inspected to determine if components can be recycled or reused. Whether recycled or reused, all activities relating to the processing of your device will be managed in an environmentally responsible way."
And this one for future purchases: The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community
This is frequently posted if a person was taken in by a scam. It wasn't "hacking" as such, just somebody not thinking what would happen if they signed in with a different user's account.
Refer to How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support There are only two ways to remove a lock:
#1 If you have the necessary information you or the signed in owner can do this yourself by simply signing in with the owner account and password information. If you use this method and this is a new device to you, follow unlocking by doing as outlined in What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support or What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support . If you do not have the required information then you can try method 2 —>
#2 Apple can completely reset a device if a person can provide sufficient evidence of valid ownership. Read the requirements and steps for an Activation Lock support request at: https://al-support.apple.com/#/additional-support and links at the bottom right for the type of service requested. Apple says they may require "proof of purchase documentation” and that you need “proof of ownership documentation”, but does not detail what currently constitutes proof other than it “must include the product serial number, IMEI or MEID.” User reports on this community indicate that typically Apple will ONLY accept an original receipt issued by Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller. Presumably this is the only kind Apple can authenticate against fraud since Apple is not involved in third party sales. Apple recommends that you "Keep your receipt after you buy an Apple device" --> Keep your receipt after you buy an Apple device - Apple Support
Note that the device cannot have Lost Mode set on it. If your device has been taken over by you having entered a scammer’s Account then the scammer has likely set that too and the device is lost to you.
If Apple resets the device this will give you access to the device but won't restore access to the account used to lock it. There is nothing that can be done to expedite an Activation Lock request.
If you cannot get the device unlocked then read this section from the very bottom of Apple Trade In - Apple :
"Does Apple offer recycling?
Yes. Apple Trade In lets you recycle any Apple device (including devices from Apple-owned brands) at any Apple Store and on https://www.apple.com/ for free. That includes your batteries and old electronic products as well as free, on-demand packaging recycling for our commercial, education, and institutional customers. When we receive your device, it will be thoroughly inspected to determine if components can be recycled or reused. Whether recycled or reused, all activities relating to the processing of your device will be managed in an environmentally responsible way."
And this one for future purchases: The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community
Sounds like your friend fell for a scam where he or she logged into a scammer’s Apple Account. The scammer then put the phone into Lost Mode (no “hacking” required).
If this is the case, the phone is probably lost to your friend, and this is going to be a very expensive lesson on why he or she should never log into someone else’s Apple Account.
(Paying the extortionist would be a very bad idea, because your friend would be rewarding crime, with no guarantee that the scammer would not extort additional payments, and no guarantee that the scammer would ever release the phone.)
How to regain access to a hacked iPhone locked by the owner?
