458/68 Tuesday, November 11, 2025
The National Cyber Security Centre of Switzerland (NCSC) has issued a warning to iPhone users about a new phishing scam that pretends to notify victims that their lost device has been found. Attackers send SMS or iMessage texts using contact information that the owner previously entered into the Find My app (such as email or phone number). To make the message convincing, attackers include device details like model, color, and storage capacity – for example: “We found your iPhone 14 128GB Midnight,” along with a link to “view the current location.”
However, the link does not lead to an official Apple site. Instead, it redirects to a fake webpage designed to mimic Find My, prompting the victim to enter their Apple ID and password. Once the victim submits their credentials, the information is sent directly to the attackers, allowing them to unlock Activation Lock and gain full access to the victim’s Apple account. According to the NCSC, attackers may obtain the owner’s contact details from the message shown on the device’s lock screen when it is marked as lost, or from the SIM card inside the device.
The NCSC advises users not to click on any unsolicited links and to never enter Apple ID credentials on external websites. If a device is lost, users should enable Lost Mode through the Find My app or via iCloud[.]com/find. The agency also recommends using a dedicated email address for lost-device notifications and setting a SIM PIN to prevent misuse. Apple has clarified that it does not contact users via SMS or email to inform them that a lost device has been found.