Comment on Thieves return Android phone when they realize it's not an iPhone

• kernelle@0d.gs ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Both Apple’s and Google’s activation locks are actively being bypassed though. It’s probably not being done by a run-of-the-mill thief, but it can be done, if not for a price.

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  • antizero99@lemmynsfw.com ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    True. But the average idiot stealing a phone to feed a habit isn’t going to be able to bypass it. Of course those being stolen by order of a larger group can do it. But these locks severely reduced the number of opportunity thefts.

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    • Zak@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Thieves sell to fences who know how to sell stolen items for maximum profit.

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      • antizero99@lemmynsfw.com ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Did you not read anything I wrote?

        And no, that isn’t likely the path for stolen phones,especially when it’s a theft of opportunity by someone looking to feed a drug habit. They aren’t thinking about going to a fence who can give them what the phone is worth at that level of the chain.

        As I said in another comment, the locks both apple and android put in years ago had a major impact on the theft of phones. It’s pointless to steal them unless it’s part of a larger operation or your trying to get a phone that’s unlocked so you can siphon money from someone instead of just reselling the phone.

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  • phoneymouse@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Of it were being bypassed the tool would be available online. What tool is used to bypass Apple activation lock on the latest OS?

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    • kernelle@0d.gs ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Their was a blog post here recently where a repair technician with his own shop was trying to contact Apple about reportedly stolen iphones being reactivated and resold and it undermining his business. They then found more and in one case it was a rogue Apple employee doing the activations, and in another it was software tools they found and send to Apple, which got ignored for more than half a year.

      I can’t seem to find the original article but here’s Louis Rossman explaining the same thing. The argument boils down to the fact that Apple doesn’t care, more iphones means more people with wallets attached to them.

      Also, it wouldn’t necessarily be public knowledge on exactly how it’s done, otherwise 1 Apple would try to fix the issue or 2 there’s money to be made in selling the service.

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      • phoneymouse@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        That would be weird because even Apple can’t reactivate a stolen phone. That’s why they ask you to do it yourself before you trade it in.

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