This customer was fortunate to have a Time Machine backup. If she hadn’t, she could have faced a serious data loss situation. Additionally, her devices were locked (by the hacker), and she needed to keep her life moving, so she had to rush out and purchase a new iPhone 16e, which, thankfully, she might be able to return to the Apple store within 14 days after her regular iPhone is unlocked. She is working with Apple to “unlock” her devices which I did not know takes awhile. Thankfully, she has here original sales receipts from Apple. Also, since this customer’s Apple Account got taken over, she had to create a new Apple Account as the hacker added thier info to her account for recovery.
Note: if you are a fan of buying Macs from the secondary marketplace and you don’t have the original Apple “Proof of purchase”, then Apple WILL NOT unlock you device if it gets iCloud locked or firmware locked.
I’ve mentioned this before: everyone believes they’re in control until they’re not, so having multiple backups and devices is a wise and effective strategy. If you’ve worked with me in the shop, you’ve likely heard me reference the Navy SEAL saying that “two is one and one is none”. If you need assistance in establishing a system to safeguard your data and ensure you can keep going if something like this occurs, reach out, and I’d be glad to arrange an appointment to assist you. This is one reason I’m not keen on trading in my old phone. I always retain my previous model and have a backup phone number that only I know, in case of emergencies if my main phone fails. Also, many cell carriers will allow you to generate a QR code for your eSIM. That way if you iPhone gets swiped you can just add you phone number to a friends phone or a backup phone. This is supper important if traveling overseas any you don’t have access to your Mac or other devices to rescue you.
Also, be cautious if you suspect you’re being hacked; one tactic hackers use is forwarding your phone to another number while keeping you on the line, preventing anyone else from reaching you. So, if a family member notices something strange with your banking or if your bank tries to contact you, they may not be able to reach you because the hacker has you occupied on a call that lasts all day, under the pretense of helping bank security or the FBI catch the culprits. In both significant bank hacks that have recently affected my customers, this technique was employed. This might be a situation where having a backup phone number is crucial, so ensure your children, financial advisor, or banking officials have that number as an emergency contact.
Note: I use my backup phone number differently! But, you can get a second phone number on your main phone as well! But both cases I mentioned, the folks that got hacked let the hackers posing as “Bank Security” onto their iPhone via screen sharing, so I am assuming the hackers would have disabled the backup phone number too! So there is some good backup protection by having your backup phone number on another device. Also, you can get an Apple Watch with a phone number that is different than you main iPhone number.