Stolen iPhone Erased

[stephantwo]

Hi everybody!
I was on vacation when my iPhone 6S got stolen. It did not have mobile Internet (since being abroad). I used Find My iPhone to erase it remotely when coming back online.

Now I got an email saying the phone was erased. How can this be? I am pretty sure that the thief was unable to guess my passcode. So they should not be able to join a new WiFi network. I never used open WiFi networks.

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Jeroen7]

Welcome to the iMore forum!

Did you enable the option that after x amount of failed unlocks the phone gets erased?
Not sure how it would be able to notify you that it happend, maybe internally it connects to cellular automatically to send it.

 

[stephantwo]

Welcome to the iMore forum!

Did you enable the option that after x amount of failed unlocks the phone gets erased?
Not sure how it would be able to notify you that it happend, maybe internally it connects to cellular automatically to send it.

I did! That's what I'm trying to figure out.

 

[darius_robin]

I did! That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Maybe the thief changed the SIM and connected it to cellular.

 

[stephantwo]

How's that possible without them knowing the passcode?

 

[Ledsteplin]

Coming back online? Doesn't it go online when it's turned on? So to speak. I know turning it on enables Find My iPhone.

 

[DarlaMack]

When you say it doesn't have mobile internet I'm assuming that it's unable to connect to data, correct? And if you have ever used hotspots like Starbucks or McDonald's or any other free wifi spot the phone will automatically connect to that available spot and begin the erasing process.

The thief wouldn't be able to switch the sim and connect to cellular data successfully unless they had your pin number to get into the device.

 

[stephantwo]

Exactly. And since I never used open hotspots, I am confused.

 

[DarlaMack]

Exactly. And since I never used open hotspots, I am confused.

Yeah.... does sound kinda weird lol and I'm baffled. Did you contact Apple for a possible solution?

 

[stephantwo]

Not yet

 

[clagow16]

Hi everybody!
I was on vacation when my iPhone 6S got stolen. It did not have mobile Internet (since being abroad). I used Find My iPhone to erase it remotely when coming back online.

Now I got an email saying the phone was erased. How can this be? I am pretty sure that the thief was unable to guess my passcode. So they should not be able to join a new WiFi network. I never used open WiFi networks.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Please clarify: "I used Find My Iphone to erase it remotely when coming back online."

If I'm understanding correctly, you executed the Find My Iphone feature that allows you to erase your iPhone regardless of your location or its location, once the phone is "online" again...? Are you saying when YOU would be online on the internet again or when your lost iPhone would be online again??

In the case of an iPhone and the Find My iPhone app and it's lost phone security features, "online" essentially means ON or active again. It doesn't have to be connected to wifi, it doesn't have to have the screen unlocked and it doesn't have to be connected to cellular. It just has to be powered ON. Once it's powered on, the Find My iPhone lost phone feature will immediately erase the phone and report its last known location to apple.

I realize this is a late coming response but I hope it helps anyone else who may be confused about this feature.