I recently bought an iPhone, but it turns out it's stolen. I've already contacted the police, but the seller has blocked me. Is there any way to unlock this phone or possibly reach out to the original owner?
3 Answers
No way to unlock it. The whole point of the iCloud lock is to prevent theft. Only the original owner can unlock it, and even Apple can’t help you here. You’ve basically got yourself a very expensive paperweight now. The seller's blocking you is a no-brainer; they got your money and just bailed.
Unfortunately, if the phone has an activation lock, it’s basically a paperweight. If you paid with a credit or debit card, you should reach out to your bank for a chargeback. But if you paid cash, your options are limited. Best bet might be to just report it to the police and let them handle it.
I paid cash too! I don’t care about the money; I’m just so mad about this situation. I genuinely hope the police can track down the seller.
I actually found a lost iPhone once by trying to call one of the contacts it had. I guessed they would have a 'dad' saved, and I used Siri to call him. He came and picked it up from me that same day.
That’s a creative idea! I might give that a shot. But it’s possible the thief already reset it, so I can’t access Siri at all.
I thought so too, but I know some tech whizzes can bypass a lot of things. I figured maybe someone could get around the iCloud lock.