If you have any product from Apple (iPhone, iPad , etc.), you know that there is such a thing as Apple ID - the universal user identifier for an “apple” device. It binds a specific device to the Apple cloud service, thus allowing you to control the device and synchronize it.
In this article, we will try to draw your attention to an unpleasant situation that every owner of an Apple device may encounter. This is a message that the iPhone is blocked by the ID shown on the screen of your phone or tablet. We will consider the main situations and possible reasons why this record can be demonstrated, as well as talk about what to do in order to get rid of it.
Why do i need an Apple ID?
As already noted, using an ID, the owner can, in a sense, control his gadget. This is done through the iCloud service. A vivid example of how this is arranged can be the following case: when the device is lost, the owner has the opportunity to display on his screen a message: "5 iPhone is locked (this applies to any other model), return the phone." And, of course, the one who has the device in his hands will not have access to content, records on the smartphone.
Agree, the function is quite useful. Moreover, if someone steals the phone and resells it, the new owner will see a message that the smartphone is locked, after which he will know about his duty to return it.
Other Apple ID Features
The ability to display an inscription that the iPhone is locked is not the only function of such a mechanism as Apple ID. In fact, this system (which is designed as a login and password) also allows you to make purchases on the AppStore content service, gain access to media services, and manage your device using iCloud. In general, I would like to say this: everyone can get their identifier, this is done for free. But this is an optional function, so it is not necessary to register it. Just an ID makes your phone more flexible. Plus, in case of loss, your blocked iPhone 4s will not be able to be used by attackers, and this is a clear plus from a security point of view.
Lock restrictions
You may ask: is it possible to somehow bypass the system and continue to use the device? In theory, no. In fact, we all know stories when they sell a stolen phone, after which they begin to use it as before.
There are many options to organize this. The simplest, obviously, is to put the device in "flight mode" in such a way as to prevent activation of the lock. In this case, the phone simply will not have time to receive a signal from iCloud, and those who have taken possession of it will have little time to reflash it, or to somehow reset the settings.
Another question is that a smartphone cannot be used normally by its true owner. After all, those who steal the phone do not need to work with it - they need to sell it, get money and hide from both the previous owner and the buyer. As for situations when the rightful owner of a mobile phone suddenly gets the message "Your iPhone is blocked by ID", then this scheme is irrelevant. You as the owner will need to figure out what caused such a lock. This is where the fun begins.
Caution! Scammers
You can hear a lot of stories that talk about one pattern of deception. A large number of people have already been led to it. One fine day, a message arrives on the screen. It says about a locked iPhone 4, and to get access to it, you need to pay 1000 rubles for the specified wallet.
A little search for information, and we still find a lot of the same stories. All of them consist in the fact that on the display of Apple equipment they displayed a message with the same content, in which there was a demand to pay money. So there is a reason to figure out how this scam works.
Cheating scheme
Fraudsters who send a message that your iPhone is blocked use the iCloud service described above. You can also access it using the web interface (that is, simply by entering your account information on a special site). All that scammers need to successfully carry out their plans is access to your inbox. Then, accordingly, they learn the password from the Apple ID, and then lock your device.
It’s very easy to display a message with the text where the billing information of the criminals is indicated, just write it in the service interface itself. As for the further unlocking and working with the device, it depends primarily on the conscience of scammers. In theory, nothing prevents them from repeating blackmail.
How do they do it?
Each immediately raises the question of how ransomware manages to implement this scheme. How do they get access to the account of the owner of the "apple" device? And, of course, if iPhone 4 is locked, how to unlock it for free?
First, we describe the scheme of work of scammers. As noted above, first they need to gain access to the user's mailbox. This is done with the help of some malicious program, a site containing a form for entering data, or a Trojan virus that reads your passwords. In fact, the arsenal of criminals in this area is unlimited - most people are too little versed in computer technology, due to which they behave naively and do not show enough caution.
After the mail is hacked, the Apple ID is reset. Then the bypass paths for the user overlap. For example, a filter is created on the mailbox that deletes letters arriving from Apple with a new password (which will be requested by the rightful owner of the phone). Then, obviously, the person does not receive the letter and cannot change his password.
In turn, criminals cannot completely block access to the victim’s mail, because then they will not have the opportunity to contact her and describe the requirements in detail. And in a normal situation, this is done just through the mail.
Solution
If you see a message that your iPhone is blocked, do not be upset. The solution is quite simple, you just need to understand a little how criminals act. As noted above, they include a special mail filter that removes incoming emails from Apple.com. Just remove it and you will see messages containing recovery instructions.
On the Apple ID website, enter the key that was sent to your mail and your account will be restored. This will give you the ability to disable the phone or tablet lock. Obviously, the extortionists will have nothing more to show you in order to demand payment.
How not to get caught again?
After the status “iPhone blocked” will be removed, we recommend resorting to a number of measures aimed at preventing such cases in the future. First of all, we are talking about passwords. They must be changed on all their accounts, both on the mailbox and on the Apple ID service.
Next, think about where you could allow data leakage, in particular - a password. For example, it could be a computer virus or a fraudulent site similar to the official one. In order to identify what’s the matter, download the antivirus and some vulnerability search program. You can find one in the product line of any brand - the same Nod32, McAfee, Kaspersky - all these and other studios offer their solutions.