My cousin has kept an iPhone that I purchased and pay for, and he refuses to return it after cutting off contact. The Apple ID and phone number are in my name, and I'm responsible for the phone bill. Unfortunately, Find My iPhone was turned off, so I can't place the device in Lost Mode. Apple Support wasn't able to help. What steps can I take to protect my account, suspend the phone, and recover the device?
1 Answer
Gather your purchase receipt, billing records, the phone’s IMEI or serial number, and any messages showing that he has it. Contact your carrier and ask whether they can suspend the line or blacklist the device by its IMEI. You can also file a police report for the phone being withheld, even if you know the person who has it. Change your Apple ID password, remove any saved payment methods, and review the account for unfamiliar activity. Without Find My enabled, there may not be a way to remotely lock or erase the phone through Apple.
Find My was already disabled, so I can’t put it into Lost Mode. I’ll collect the purchase and billing records and contact the carrier about blocking the device.