iPhone thief reveals how he stole iPhones
(iPhone thief reveals how he stole iPhones.) Aaron Johnson, the iPhone thief, recently confessed to stealing iPhones and robbing banks by remembering iPhone owners’ passcodes.
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Thieves will target drunk men in bars, gain their trust and then ask for their phone passcodes under false pretenses.
An iPhone thief recently confessed how he saw owners’ passcodes and then stole their phones and robbed their banks.
The Wall Street Journal investigated how a man named Aaron Johnson stole iPhones while in a Minnesota prison. Johnson, 26,
Tricked people into getting their phone codes at a Minneapolis bar, then used their bank apps to rob them of nearly $300,000.
Apple now offers a Stolen Device Protection system to prevent this, but users must turn it on.
It requires your face or fingerprint and a strong code to work. Tips to stay safe include locking money up apps
and includes deleting personal content from notes and photos.
According to the WSJ, Johnson frequented dimly lit bars, specifically targeting college-aged men who were less sober and more intoxicated.
He believed that they were less likely to notice or resist his attempts to gain access to his phone.
Johnson used various tactics to befriend his targets. He would approach them under the guise of friendship,
Often offering drugs or claiming to be rappers looking to connect on social media platforms like Snapchat.
The motive was to establish a false sense of friendship and trust.
Once Johnson engages victims in conversation and gains their trust,
He would then ask to borrow their phones temporarily, usually under the pretext of adding his contact details.
When handed over the phone, it directly asks for the passcode. Often, victims accidentally provide their passcode, believing it to be a harmless exchange.
After Apple launched Stolen Device Protection, thief Aaron Johnson has revealed just how vulnerable iPhones are — and still can be. Now serving eight years in a Minnesota correctional facility, Johnson spoke to The Wall Street Journal about what he did and what iPhone owners can do to prevent theft.
“I’m already serving time. I think I should try to be on the other end of things and try to help people,” said Johnson, who also explained how he started stealing. “I was homeless. I started having kids and needed money.”
“I couldn’t really find a job,” he continued. “So that’s what I did.” He then moved on to stealing iPhones — sometimes Android but usually high-value iPhones — after realizing how far a passcode could get him into the phone.
Johnson memorized or recorded passcodes given to him by victims. This crucial information allowed him quick access to the phone and the sensitive data stored on it.
Immediately after obtaining the passcode, Johnson quickly accessed the settings menu on the stolen iPhones. There, he changed the Apple ID password, rendering the ‘Find My iPhone’ feature useless.
This prevented victims from remotely tracking or wiping their stolen devices.
To further secure his access, Johnson will enroll his own face in Face ID if available on the stolen phone.
This biometric authentication provided him with quick access to passwords saved in iCloud Keychain, facilitating his unauthorized access to various applications and accounts.
With access to the victims’ phones and accounts, Johnson immediately began transferring large sums of money from their bank apps.
If he faces barriers to accessing certain financial applications, additional information such as a Social Security number to gain access
will use notes and photos for
Johnson will then use the Apple Pay functionality to make purchases or purchase more Apple devices,
Like expensive iPad Pro models, using stolen iPhones. This allowed him to make transactions and purchase products with stolen financial information.
After exploiting the phones for financial gain, Johnson would erase their data and sell them to an associate named Zhongshuang “Brandon” Su. Sue, according to Johnson, sold the devices overseas.
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