My Apple account was compromised, and my M5 MacBook Pro has been placed in both Activation Lock and Lost Mode. The screen says the Mac was used by an iCloud account with a partially hidden email address. When I enter that address, it asks for a password, then a phone number, and finally reports that the account is no longer valid. Apple phone support told me the account associated with the Mac appears to have been changed, but they said they may be able to help only if I can identify the full email address. I have spoken with several Apple supervisors and visited Apple Stores multiple times. Even after showing proof of purchase, the stores said they could not remove Lost Mode and that I needed to handle it by phone. The laptop has been unusable for about three weeks, and I need to know what legitimate steps might resolve this.
3 Answers
Gather the original sales receipt, serial number, proof of identity, and any documentation showing that the Apple account was compromised. Ask Apple Support to escalate the case as an account-security and ownership issue rather than treating it as a normal password problem. A retail store may not have the authority to remove Lost Mode, so the phone-support case number and a specialized escalation team may be important.
Lost Mode can complicate an Activation Lock removal request, and Apple may refuse to process the request while the device is still marked as lost. Start by securing the compromised Apple account, then use Apple's official account-recovery tools and ask support specifically about the account takeover and the Lost Mode status. Do not try to bypass the lock with unofficial software.
If someone else intentionally changed the account and put the Mac in Lost Mode, treat it as an account-compromise or theft-related incident. Change passwords from a trusted device, remove unfamiliar trusted devices and phone numbers, contact your bank if payment details were exposed, and file a report if another person had access to the computer or account. Keep all Apple case numbers and written proof of ownership, since those may help with a higher-level review.
The partially hidden email address is significant. Check old account emails, purchase records, password-manager entries, and trusted devices for the Apple ID that was previously linked to the Mac. If the attacker changed the account details, explain that clearly instead of repeatedly guessing passwords.