iPhone SE (2020) What Did I Do Wrong - iPhoneSE 2020 - Apple Identity 'Stolen'

[baumgrenze]

A few months ago I began seeing a notice on my iPhoneSE 2020. It read, "Some account services will not be available until you sign in again." I ignored it.

I answer and make phone calls with the phone. I send and receive occasional text messages. I don't buy anything from the AppStore. I live-stream programs on NPR. I check the weather on forecast.weather.gov. I try occasional searches using Safari but find the interface clunky and hard to use. I use the camera and occasionally use the feature that roughly idenfifies wildflowers. I use Merlin to ID bird calls. I don't read or send email using the phone; I prefer using a proper desktop PC for that. I don't believe I expose the phone to hackers, at least not by clicking on links.

I don't use iCloud, not even the 'free' 5 GB. I backup on my PC and back that up regularly with a service.

Yesterday I recognized that my iPhone storage memory was nearly full, that I needed to prune out a few months of accumulated images, back them up on my PC and delete them. As I was starting this, I decided to investigate the AppleID question. I opened my AppleID Device Info and discovered a device that I did not own, a MacBookPro15, SC C02SW02MGTDY with the S/N C02SW02MGTDY. Underneath was the notation, "This device cannot be used to receive Apple ID verification codes."

I proceeded to follow the suggestion that I remove it. There was the warning "Remove SC C02SW02MGTDY? This MacBook Pro will reappear if it is still signed in and connects to the Internet."

I believe I have essentially lost the control of my iPhone to the MacBookPro 15 owner who reset my ID including my trusted phone number and my password.

There is a critical IOS update and I am stuck with a phone without access to it.

What do I do next?

Thanks
baumgrenze

 

[Nermal]

Nothing you'd mentioned in your post would indicate "loss of control" of your phone. Is something not working? What do you mean by your comment about not having access to the iOS update?

Edit: Just saw the "reset my ID" bit. Are you able to log into your Apple account or not? I would have thought that you must have logged in to be able to see this rogue laptop in the first place.

 

[Shirasaki]

It’s quite hard to tell why a random Mac appear in your account for some time and was considered By Apple as a potential trusted device before. Do you remember logging into any Mac at any point? Have you owned any Mac before?

 

[Arctic Moose]

Can you successfully log in here?

https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage/section/devices#

If so, how many devices do you see, and what are they called?

 

[baumgrenze]

Thank you all for replying.

1) Added complication. I tried logging in to MacRumors and my password was rejected. I asked for a new password but the promised reply never came to the Yahoo mail address I used to register. I've come to appreciate that some websites do not like Mozilla SeaMonkey browser which I've used for years to download my email. I am viewing the forum using Google Chrome.

I managed to get to the thread via my browser history, which logged me in just fine, so I am here to reply.

Arctic Moose: I opened the link you supplied and everything seems to be in order.

Shirisaki: I don't remember anything having to do with a Mac. I tried reaching out to Apple, finding someone to talk with who might be interested in my experience, but they seem increasingly insular. They are not the company from which we bought an Apple 2+ as a family computer, one which led to our son becoming a keynote speaker at several Filemaker Devcon events. He was a theater and music major.

I have a message from Apple that in 1-2 days I will get a call/message and they will do a recovery. Does anyone know of a description of the process?

Could it be that everything has already been 'recovered' in that I was able to see my iPhone at the link supplied by Moose?

Thanks for any insights.

baumgrenze

 

[Arctic Moose]

Arctic Moose: I opened the link you supplied and everything seems to be in order.

Was only your iPhone listed there, or were there any other devices? If there is, do you recognize them all?

Also, you haven’t answered:

1. What is preventing you from applying the iOS update? What error messages are you seeing?
2. Have you ever owned or logged into a MacBook?
3. Is there anything that is not working correctly now? If so, what?
4. What exactly is it you are expecting Apple to "recover"?

And three new ones:

1. Have you successfully changed your Apple ID password?
2. Are you using multi-factor authentication for your Apple ID?
3. Do you have any other Apple devices? (iPad or Mac?)

Apple is not going to be able to help you unless you can be much more specific about what the concern is.

They are not the company from which we bought an Apple 2+ as a family computer

Which we should all probably be thankful for. 🙂

 

[spikeymike]

You said you believe you have "lost control of your phone and stuck with a phone without access to it?"

But you have been using it since getting that warning a few months ago? I'm a little confused. Echoing Arctic Moose above, what have you lost access to? What can't you do with your phone?

You stated "they" reset your ID along with trusted phone number and password. So does that mean you aren't able to access your Apple ID account and check your settings? Because it seems like you were able to since you went to the link supplied by Arctic Moose.

 

[baumgrenze]

I asked for a reset from Apple. They told me to expect a phone call or a text on my phone several hours ago GMT. It never arrived.

Is it possible to wipe the phone and enter everything back into it? Does this need to be done at an Apple Store Genius Bar? Since the phone it no longer under warranty, will they charge me for this?

Nothing you'd mentioned in your post would indicate "loss of control" of your phone. Is something not working? What do you mean by your comment about not having access to the iOS update?

Edit: Just saw the "reset my ID" bit. Are you able to log into your Apple account or not? I would have thought that you must have logged in to be able to see this rogue laptop in the first place.

Yes, I can log in, but if I try to update the settings the bogus MacBookPro 15 password stands in my way

 

[baumgrenze]

Was only your iPhone listed there, or were there any other devices? If there is, do you recognize them all?

Also, you haven’t answered:

1. What is preventing you from applying the iOS update? What error messages are you seeing?

Updating works I just installed 16.5.1 (c) before I wrote this

1. Have you ever owned or logged into a MacBook?

I have never owned a MacBook. I don't believe I've ever logged into a MacBook, but at 83 my memory is increasingly fallible

1. Is there anything that is not working correctly now? If so, what?

I cannot update my Apple ID settings. The MacBookPro15 password stands in the way.

1. What exactly is it you are expecting Apple to "recover"?

My ability to update my Apple ID settings.

And three new ones:

1. Have you successfully changed your Apple ID password?

No, the password for the MacBookPro that I deleted stands in my way.

1. Are you using multi-factor authentication for your Apple ID?

Yes, was turned on all the time.

1. Do you have any other Apple devices? (iPad or Mac?)

I have an offline iPhone 5 that I use mostly as a timer while exercising. I've not tried, but I think it would work to live-stream NPR as long as I am near my WiFi.

Apple is not going to be able to help you unless you can be much more specific about what the concern is.

I hope this set of interpolated answers clarifies my dilemma.

Thanks
baumgrenze

Which we should all probably be thankful for. 🙂

 

[Rnd-chars]

A few questions:
1. Where did you buy this iPhone (eg from Apple, second-hand, etc)?
2. Do you use a unique and complex username and password for your AppleId?
3. Do you use a unique and complex username and password for Yahoo mail?
4. Have you shared either of those credentials with someone else?

I believe you receive both an email and a notification when a device is added to your account (like this MacBook) and since it sounds like you didn’t, I’m wondering if your email has been compromised as well.

Good luck!

 

[baumgrenze]

A few questions:
1. Where did you buy this iPhone (eg from Apple, second-hand, etc)?

I bought it from Best Buy in Charlottesville in June of 2020

2. Do you use a unique and complex username and password for your AppleId?

Yes

3. Do you use a unique and complex username and password for Yahoo mail?

Yes

4. Have you shared either of those credentials with someone else?

No

I believe you receive both an email and a notification when a device is added to your account (like this MacBook) and since it sounds like you didn’t, I’m wondering if your email has been compromised as well.

What sending address would send such a notification?
I'd love to use it as a search term on my messages.

Thanks
baumgrenze

Good luck!

 

[Rnd-chars]

Thanks for the update!

I believe the address used to be noreply@insideicloud.icloud.com, but you may want to expand your search (e.g., @icloud.com or @apple.com) if that doesn’t bring anything up since it may have changed. You could also try searching for that MacBook Pro name and see what that comes up with.

And I imagine you’re already aware, but Yahoo has suffered multiple data breaches, including the largest on record. While I used to have an email account with them, that’s just too many breaches and of too high severity for me to trust them further. You may want to consider opening a new email account and pointing your important emails there.

 

[Arctic Moose]

No, the password for the MacBookPro that I deleted stands in my way.

Could you please go back here, and copy and paste all the devices that are listed?

https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage/section/devices#

Then, go here:

https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage/section/information

Click "Reachable At" and check that all the e-mail addresses and telephone numbers listed there are ones that you have access to.

Also check which e-mail address has the "Apple ID" label, followed by a circle with a question mark in it.

 

[baumgrenze]

Arctic Moose said:

Could you please go back here, and copy and paste all the devices that are listed?


https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage/section/devices#

Then, go here:


https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage/section/information

Click "Reachable At" and check that all the e-mail addresses and telephone numbers listed there are ones that you have access to.

Only my email with Sonic.net (personal, separate from Yahoo) and the number on the phone I use are listed. I use the Yahoo account for messages from forums like MacRumors. The phone number works for 2-factor authentication.

Also check which e-mail address has the "Apple ID" label, followed by a circle with a question mark in it.

It is the sonic.net email mentioned above.

I revisited screen shots from 7/10/23 when I deleted the MacBookPro. I noticed that when I entered my trusted phone number, it was rejected. It is now working, so perhaps deleting the MacBookPro accomplished that much.

I retried updating my Apple ID Settings while working on this answer.

And

I hope at the pastes survive.

Thanks for persisting with me.

baumgrenze

 

[Arctic Moose]

I hope at the pastes survive.

They did.

Great, now see if you can go here:

https://appleid.apple.com/account/manage

Click the “Password” tile, enter your Apple ID password and a new password. Write it down on paper for now as well, so you do not forget it during this exercise.

 

[baumgrenze]

I just accomplished the above task.

I have a new password accepted.

I did not select the option to sign out of my account(s) but left it unchecked as I found it.

thanks
baumgrenze

 

[baumgrenze]

I have the new password safely stored.

I now understand the mystery of the MacBookPro on my account. My son used a MacBookPro to log into my account to try to help me overcome a flood of photos into a 5 GB iCloud account. We managed to clear them out and I stopped using iCloud, even the 'free' 5 GB. He failed to remove his Mac from my account. Today he provided me with the PW and on the second try I got it to work so that he nag screen asking for that PW no longer appears. My Apple ID account no longer needs updating.
I thank Arctic Moose for all the work he did on my behalf. He was justified in continuing to ask if a MacBook had logged into my account.
My humblest apologies.
baumgrenze

 

[Arctic Moose]

My Apple ID account no longer needs updating.

Excellent! Glad it is sorted.