Protect your iPhone’s passcode and don’t give it out
Getting the passcode was one thing, but getting possession of the phone required him to resort to “trickery and violence” according to his arrest warrant. And once he had your phone and passcode, you were in big trouble. He would go to Settings and then iCloud, and click reset password. After entering the stolen passcode, he would change it to his own number. He then turned off Find My iPhone which completely locked out the legitimate owner of the device.
All iPhone users need to be protective of their passcode. With the passcode, someone can change your Apple ID and gain access to your account. Johnson got to the point where he could lock someone out of his/her iPhone and change the passcode and Apple ID in just five to 10 seconds. With the passcode, Johnson could change Face ID so that his own face would unlock the device and give him access to passwords used on banking, securities, and other financial apps.
As Johnson noted when talking with Stern, once you have your face on Face ID, “you got the key to everything.” He admitted to opening apps to access victims’ savings accounts, checking accounts, Cryptocurrency apps, Venmo, and PayPal. And if he couldn’t unlock the phone with his face, he would open the Notes app which he found to be a treasure trove of information. That’s where he would find passwords, and social security numbers.
Apple will release the Stolen Device Protection feature with iOS 17.3
Stealing iPhones at a rate of five to 10 a night, he’d go through 30 iPhones over a weekend. Selling the stolen handsets alone would bring in $20,000 a week. Some of those funds were used to buy iPad Pro tablets which Johnson sold to generate more cash. Ironically, Johnson says that Apple should be doing more to protect its customers. And indeed, it is.
For an hour, no change would be made and Face ID or Touch ID verification would be required again. The hour delay is important because it gives victims an hour to discover that they’ve been locked out of their phones and report it to Apple, hopefully in time.
Besides leaving passwords and important personal data out of the Notes app, use a passcode made of both numerals and letters. Be careful of how you expose your passcode and don’t give out your passcode.
