The iPhone is pregnable

NeonNinja

NeonNinja

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I had my iPhone 16 Pro stolen on Thursday at knife point in slow traffic in JHB around 19:30. Aside from the huge ass knife pointed at me, I didn't panic much as I've got Face ID and a 6 digit passcode (which is hard to guess).

Anyways I go to the police station for ITC for insurance pueposes. My only mistake was not knowing that a SIM swop won't be able to go through (as it sent a notication to the thieves alerting them of a sim swop and they subsequently rejected it) So only today am I able to get my number. Apparently it has to be suspended first, then proceed doing a SIM swop (on MTN)
I had already disabled my bank cards and trasferred money to a bank not on the phone.

Anyways, by the time I am home around 21:30, about to alert people on Whatsapp on my Macbook, these guys messaged about 20 people on my Whatsapp, and my business Whatsapp saying i was involved in an accident, and that the other person wants money, or JMPD wants a bribe. Some of my contacts were taken out twice. As I'm looking they sent a message to my father, of which I quikclhy phonede him befofe he could eWallet/Cashsend any money. They managed to siphone around R12k from the poeple who responded and sent money.

I couldn't do anything, as these guys somehow managed to open my phone and could not delete/disable Whatsapp from my Macbook.

They managed to lock me out of my Instagram business account too, still trying to sort that out.

The last seen location of the phone before it was "erased" was in Hillbrow. A buddy I talked to said they "open" especially iPhones easily in JHB CBD.

I've since changed every imaginable password.

That's the story of my frantic weekend...
 
NeonNinja said:
I couldn't do anything, as these guys somehow managed to open my phone and could not delete/disable Whatsapp from my Macbook.
Click to expand...
How, without knowing the pin code?

Sounds like a harrowing ordeal. Glad you made it out physically unscathed.

Edit - at what stage did you put the phone in lost mode?
 
bwana said:
How, without knowing the pin code?

Sounds like a harrowing ordeal. Glad you made it out physically unscathed.

Edit - at what stage did you put the phone in lost mode?
Click to expand...
Exactly. I had a 6 digit passcode.

I put the phone in lost mode around 22:00 on the same day. and then it wasn't erased becauese data was "off", it only was erased (I think) when it came back online the following night (Friday).

These ****ers were still Whatsapping people on Monday!!! Which I don't know how
 
EmmanuelGoldstein said:
Not the first time I believe. Apple doesn't seem to care that their phones are compromised. I have heard similar accounts from others.
Click to expand...
Funny then that they're pushing updates faster due to AI.
www.macrumors.com

Apple Released iOS 26.5.2 Security Fixes Early to Thwart AI-Assisted Hacks

Apple today released iOS 26.5.2, iPadOS 26.5.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 with a long list of security fixes that it initially introduced in the iOS 26.6, iPadOS 26.6, and macOS Tahoe 26.6 betas. Apple told Reuters that it released the updates earlier than planned due to concerns about AI-assisted...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
Apple told Reuters that it released the updates earlier than planned due to concerns about AI-assisted hacks.
Click to expand...
 
When their cover was broken, to some of my contacts, they started hurling insults at them, they even had the audacity to block them :ROFL::ROFL::ROFL: and I'm here kinda watching helplessly.
 
NeonNinja said:
When their cover was broken, to some of my contacts, they started hurling insults at them, they even had the audacity to block them :ROFL::ROFL::ROFL: and I'm here kinda watching helplessly.
Click to expand...
First of all... WhatsApp, yeah that insecure POS app. No surprises there.
Most Meta apps use the same insecure crap methods of authentication and are hackable.
But the banking apps, did they get into those?

Like most things in life, the iPhone is not impenetrable. There's tools out there to do it.. doesn't mean the phone will be legit and work with Apple again
 
NeonNinja said:
Exactly. I had a 6 digit passcode.

I put the phone in lost mode around 22:00 on the same day. and then it wasn't erased becauese data was "off", it only was erased (I think) when it came back online the following night (Friday).

These ****ers were still Whatsapping people on Monday!!! Which I don't know how
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your troubles dude. Sounds hectic.

Maybe a stupid comment, but did they maybe somehow point it at you and use the Face ID when they were robbing you?
 
EmmanuelGoldstein said:
First of all... WhatsApp, yeah that insecure POS app. No surprises there.
Most Meta apps use the same insecure crap methods of authentication and are hackable.
But the banking apps, did they get into those?

Like most things in life, the iPhone is not impenetrable. There's tools out there to do it.. doesn't mean the phone will be legit and work with Apple again
Click to expand...
Before they can access anything including WhatsApp they needed to unlock the phone. I guess they didn't win the the banks apps (Discovery, ABSA and Standard Bank). I had already logged into my Samsung disabled all cards and made transfers to another bank. Money wasn't touched a tleast.

I was using the Beta version if that means anything.
 
NeonNinja said:
Before they can access anything including WhatsApp they needed to unlock the phone. I guess they didn't win the the banks apps (Discovery, ABSA and Standard Bank). I had already logged into my Samsung disabled all cards and made transfers to another bank. Money wasn't touched a tleast.

I was using the Beta version if that means anything.
Click to expand...
The banking apps probably, ( I don't know I don't work in that space anymore) used the hardware authentication methods (biometrics, and pin code).

WhatsApp, and most of these chat apps are designed for plebs and are insecure AF.
I used to have InstaShit a few years ago, they got into my WhatsApp, and then got into everything I had with Meta...
I have said for years that WhatsApp is insecure and they can/do read your messages too.
 
Spizz said:
Sorry to hear about your troubles dude. Sounds hectic.

Maybe a stupid comment, but did they maybe somehow point it at you and use the Face ID when they were robbing you?
Click to expand...
No. I had just fetched a friend from their place, so the car hadn't auto locked (30-45 seconds I believe, and I have never practiced the habit of locking the. car manually). Guy came from the right and pointed knife, made stabbing jabs and asked for phone, the phone did lit up as I was taking it between my thighs, and there was almost stand still traffic. So no chance of FACE ID, it happened so fast and he disappered into some bushes.
 
NR7 said:
Lock code means nothing if you don't have a SIM pin. They simply take it out and put it in another phone.

With that SIM they can get into everything that requires an SMS code for 2 factor.
Click to expand...
That's another big mistake I guess my side and network operators, SIM's don't have pins these days :/
 
NeonNinja said:
No. I had just fetched a friend from their place, so the car hadn't auto locked (30-45 seconds I believe, and I have never practiced the habit of locking the. car manually). Guy came from the right and pointed knife, made stabbing jabs and asked for phone, the phone did lit up as I was taking it between my thighs, and there was almost stand still traffic. So no chance of FACE ID, it happened so fast and he disappered into some bushes.
Click to expand...

Jibbers. Fscking scumbags. But hey, I know it’s a major PITA but at the end of the day you’re okay and that’s the important thing.
 
NeonNinja said:
Had e-sim, but it wasn't active as far as I know. And the SIM had no pin.
Click to expand...
That's how they got in, no sim pin and tadaaa.

With software they can by-pass the pin / face scan - however to get past the sim pin is harder of not impossible unless they have someone on the inside ( Vodacom, MTN etc )

EDIT: also WTF where you doing in Hilbrow ?
 
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