If you’ve ever lost your iPhone, you know the sinking feeling that follows — the panic, the frustration, and the small hope that someone honest might return it. But now, Now, cybercriminals are exploiting that hope by sending fake “found iPhone” texts claiming their missing devices have been located.
The Swiss National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a warning about a phishing scam targeting iPhone owners who have recently lost their devices. The fake text messages or iMessages sent by scammers pretend to help you recover your lost or stolen device, when in reality, they’re trying to steal your Apple ID login details to unlock and resell them.
How The Scam Works
When an iPhone is lost, owners can use Apple’s Find My feature to display a custom message on the lock screen — often including a contact number or email address. Unfortunately, scammers have learned to exploit that very feature.
According to the NCSC, fraudsters send SMS or iMessage texts pretending to be from Apple’s Find My team, and claim that the missing phone has been located. They even like the iPhone’s model, color, and storage size, which can be read from the locked device itself.
“Losing your iPhone is always annoying. Not only is the device gone, but your personal data may also be lost,” wrote the NCSC.
“Once the initial panic has passed, most people are left hoping that someone honest will find it. But if scammers have your phone, they may try to exploit this hope. They send text messages or iMessages that appear to come from Apple, claiming that the lost iPhone has been found abroad. ”
A typical message might read:
“We are pleased to inform you that your lost iPhone 14 128GB Midnight has been successfully located.
“To view the current location of your device, please click the link below: <phishing url>
“If you did not initiate a lost device report or believe this message was sent in error, please disregard it or contact our support team immediately.”
The link leads to a fraudulent website that looks identical to Apple’s Find My page. Anyone who enters their Apple ID and password, their credentials directly go to the scammers, giving them full access to the account.
What Scammers Want
The attackers’ main goal is to bypass Apple’s Activation Lock, a built-in security feature that ties each iPhone to its owner’s Apple ID and prevents thieves from erasing or reselling stolen devices.
Since Activation Lock can’t be bypassed without the owner’s credentials, scammers rely on social engineering to trick users into willingly revealing their credentials. Once they have your Apple ID, they can remove the lock and resell your iPhone.
How They Get Your Contact Info
According to the NSCC, it’s still unclear how scammers obtain victims’ phone numbers from lost devices. In some cases, the SIM card might still be active inside the lost phone if not blocked. In others, it could be from the phone number or email displayed on the Lost Mode lock screen — the custom message owners set when marking the device as lost.
“This can be very helpful if the finder is honest – but in dishonest hands, the same information can be used to launch a targeted phishing attack,” the NCSC notes.
How To Stay Safe
To stay safe, the NCSC recommends iPhone users to:
- Ignore suspicious texts claiming your phone has been found, as Apple never contacts users this way.
- Never click on links in unsolicited messages or enter your Apple ID on non-Apple websites.
- Activate Lost Mode immediately through the Find My app or com/find.
- Limit contact info shown on your lost device’s lock screen — use a dedicated email instead of your main phone number.
- Keep your SIM protected with a PIN to prevent misuse of your number.
- Never remove your device from your Apple account, as that disables the Activation Lock.
The Takeaway
This scam preys on the natural hope of getting your lost phone back. If you get a “found” message about your lost device, resist the urge to click — and remember, Apple will never text or email you about a found device.
