Criminals Use AI Voice Scams to Turn Stolen iPhones Into $1,000 Paydays
Updated
Updated · PhoneArena · May 16
Criminals Use AI Voice Scams to Turn Stolen iPhones Into $1,000 Paydays
2 articles · Updated · PhoneArena · May 16
$500 to $1,000 is what a stolen iPhone can fetch once unlocked, versus just $50 to $200 when it remains activation-locked.
Phishing kits sold under names such as “Find My iPhone Off” generate fake Apple login pages, while tools like iRealm add Apple Pay-themed scripts and AI voice calls posing as Apple Support.
Apple’s Activation Lock, Find My and Stolen Device Protection have made locked devices largely worthless, pushing thieves away from cracking hardware and toward tricking owners into surrendering credentials.
Apple users can blunt that playbook by setting Stolen Device Protection to “Always,” avoiding links or texts after a theft, and using iCloud from another device to mark the phone lost.
How does a simple iPhone theft on the street fuel a billion-dollar transnational criminal network?
Apple's security has made you the target. How can users defend themselves when criminals can perfectly impersonate tech support?
With AI now able to bypass multi-factor authentication, is any digital security measure truly future-proof?