Back in the day, losing your phone meant simply missing a few phone calls. Now, it means someone potentially having the keys to a significant amount of your life.
A New York woman knows this feeling firsthand. After seemingly losing her phone in an Uber, she says that a scammer got hold of not only her bank accounts but a variety of other devices as well.
Here’s how she says it happened—and what you need to know about phone security.
How Did A Stolen iPhone Lead To A Drained Bank Account?
In a video with over 377,000 views, TikTok user Lyla (@ahoneycrispapple) recounts how she ended up in this situation.
According to Lyla, she ordered an Uber on a Saturday night. As she was getting ready to exit the car, she noticed that her phone was missing. Rather than try to figure it out in the car—and after some prompting from the driver—she decided she’d sort through her possessions after getting back into her apartment.
When she got back, she realized that not only was her phone gone, but her other devices were having issues as well.
“My computer is shut off. It’s just like a black screen with a globe,” she states.
After some trial and error, she decided to fall asleep and resolve the situation in the morning.
The following morning, she woke up to discover that her iPad had been erased. That wasn’t the only problem.
The Problem Spreads
Calling her parents from the landline, she learned that not only had her phone been stolen but that a scammer was taking control of her life.
“I call my mom, and they’re like, ‘There’s a search party for you. Where are you?’” Lyla says. “She’s like, ‘I know your phone got stolen. They drained out your bank accounts; they have your ID. They have access to your—my dad and my mom’s accounts now.’”
Lyla believes that, as the scammer had access to her phone, they were able to access a variety of accounts using two-factor authentication.
“Freaking out,” she went to the Apple Store to try to disable the phone. After a significant amount of time attempting different methods, the employees realized they could migrate her eSIM to a new device, preventing the other one from using her phone number. They were also able to put the phone in “Lost” mode, and Lyla states she was able to get her Apple ID back.
That said, the problem wasn’t over.
“Not only did he just drain my bank accounts, but he’s erased my whole entire life,” she starts. “All my memories of my loved ones… I’ve unfortunately had a lot of loved ones in my life that passed away. Don’t have any of those text messages, voice memos, photos, nothing.”
The Lost Phone Continues To Cause Issues
Even if they were able to slow the pace of the scammer, Lyla questions how they were able to pull everything off given the amount of money drained from her accounts.
“You’re using three different cards with my name, my parents name and all that, and it keeps getting denied. But no, he just kept being able to do it and someone through,” she says.
However, the main issue was that the problems with this phone made it impossible for her to access her credit. This was a crucial step, as she was in the process of moving out of her old residence. Thankfully, they were still able to approve her for her new apartment.
That said, when she went to take her possessions out of storage, she was told that she was behind on payment and could not access them. It was only when her dad arrived with an extra gift card that she could get her possessions.
Making matters worse is the fact that, after she signed her lease, she was told that her new building had squatters that had to be removed before she could move in.
How Did This Even Happen?
While Lyla advises that one know their IMEI number and keep Apple’s security features on, some wondered how such a crime was even possible.
Lyla speculates that the issue could have arisen after using her passcode in the Uber. She speculates that the driver could have used a camera to record her entering her passcode, stolen her phone, and then performed all of the aforementioned actions. Additionally, she says that the Uber driver canceled the ride without her knowledge, leading to further suspicion.
Almost everything described by Lyla, from the charges to the wiped devices, has been noted in other cases of iPhone theft. A 2023 article from the Wall Street Journal notes the ubiquity of this issue, noting that many of those impacted are unable to get their phones or accounts back even weeks or months after the thefts.
In order to prevent this, one can enable Apple’s Stolen Device Protection. They can also avoid entering their passcode in public—or, if necessary, change their passcode to an alphanumeric one. One can also turn off SMS-based 2FA, instead using app-based 2FA or passkeys.
@ahoneycrispapple Dear hacker you’re so smart, & talented use it for good. lol the squatters were my breaking point. Also my packages got stolen last week 😂 like what’s going on. Is this my sign do I need to move?? I’m never this vaurnable online but genuinely like all these things I’m just numb atp lol. Is there something I need to change in my life? I’m so confused. But learn from me and how to protect yourself. #protectyourself #hacker #hack #squatters #stolen
Commenters Are Astonished
In the comments section, users were shocked by what Lyla said happened to her.
“Can you go to the police? Like if he went to a physical store to spend money they’ll have it on camera. Especially if he spent 15k,” wrote a user.
“Also you can require Face ID for certain apps to even open them,” added another. “I have Face ID required for all of my banking apps and Venmo so that even if my phone were to be stolen they can’t immediately get into those apps.”
“Police report and report to the bank with the report number all the money should be insured by the FDIC. Happened to me the bank returned everything,” claimed a third.
We’ve reached out to Uber via email, Apple via email, and Lyla via email.