A recent report highlights a new phenomenon in the world of iPhone theft: thieves spy on victims' phone numbers before stealing the device to access their personal information, including banking apps and Apple Pay.
The lengthy investigation, reported by The Wall Street Journal, included interviews with some of the victims and an explanation of how Apple should support additional protections for its phones that would make it more difficult for thieves to access user data, even if the thief knows the phone. Access code. device.
According to the report, all the victims interviewed by this newspaper said that their mobile phones were stolen while they were in public places at night. Some of the victims said their phones were stolen, while others said they were physically assaulted and threatened. Once the thief gets the iPhone passcode, he can easily reset the Apple account passcode and turn off Find My iPhone. This makes it difficult for device owners to track its location or remotely wipe it via iCloud. Thieves can also remove other trusted devices from the account, which adds another layer of protection against hackers.
However, the report warns that the risk of iPhone theft does not end there. Once the thief has the iPhone password, he can use the electronic payment applications for Apple Pay and Apple Cash and access banking applications using the password stored in the iCloud password service. Thieves can unlock the Apple Card by finding the last four digits of the victim's tax number on photos stored in the Photos app or apps like Google Drive. Moreover, accessing other passwords stored in iCloud Keychain will allow the thief to do more damage as he can gain access to email accounts and other sensitive information.
Preventive tips
The report reveals a number of steps iPhone users can take to protect their personal information and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of this type of theft. Recommendations include changing the device's passcode from a four-digit code to a combination of letters and numbers, making it harder for snoopers to remember the code.
This can be done in the Settings app in the Face ID & Passcode section and then change the passcode. With the function of unlocking the phone with fingerprint or face ID, you can try not to use the password when you go to public places to prevent thieves from spying on the password. If a password is required, the user can place their hand on the screen to hide the password.
It should be noted that this phenomenon is not limited to iPhones and can occur on any other mobile phone. Therefore, protecting the device and the data stored on it should be a top priority for all smartphone users. It is recommended to follow basic security measures such as b. Users change account passwords regularly, avoid easy-to-guess passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and so on. The password manager can also be used to generate strong random passwords for all accounts.
Apple is responding
Apple responded to the report and said it was working hard to protect its users from the new threat. However, the company did not provide specific details about the next steps it might take to improve security. The report suggests adding new protections and supporting additional account recovery options for iOS.