I recently bought a 2020 MacBook Air as an 'Open Box' item from Best Buy in 2021, but now it's been locked by someone using 'Find My Mac,' and the message on the lock screen claims the laptop was stolen from an airline flight. The message even includes details about my location and instructs me to return the device to a specific police precinct. However, I never registered the MacBook with Apple or enabled 'Find My Device.' When I visited the police precinct mentioned in the lock screen message, they had no record of any stolen device. I've also reached out to both Apple and Best Buy, but they just keep passing the blame to each other, and I feel stuck. It's possible the previous owner didn't unregister their account, which is causing this issue. Does anyone have any tips on how I can regain access to my computer?
5 Answers
Once a device is locked through Find My Mac, there's usually no way around it unless the legitimate owner removes the lock. It’s a bummer, but you might have to accept that it’s a paperweight now. If Apple can't help and Best Buy is dodging responsibility, you might just hit a wall.
You mentioned you never used Find My Device because the previous owner was still signed in. It sounds like Best Buy overlooked this when they accepted the return, but only Apple can remove the lock. Your best bet is to keep pushing Best Buy to take responsibility.
Have you looked into the case where some of these devices can be hacked into? Not that I recommending anything sketchy, but there’s stuff out there if you search the right way, though proceed with caution!
You could also try contacting Apple Support with all your proof of purchase. Sometimes they might have procedures in place to help in cases like yours, especially if you insist and provide all the documentation.
This sounds like a classic case where the previous owner returned a stolen MacBook. It's likely they swapped out the original device before returning it, and Best Buy might not have checked the serial numbers closely. Unfortunately, if the device is locked like this, it's essentially a brick unless the original owner unlocks it. You should definitely take your proof of purchase back to Best Buy and file a report with the police if you haven't already. They sold you stolen gear, so they need to step up!
That makes sense, but why does the lock screen tell you to go to the police? I went there multiple times and filed a report, and they had absolutely no clue about it.