In November, while Reyhan Ayas was leaving a Manhattan pub, a man snatched her phone and fled. She claimed that Apple was unhelpful when she attempted to recover access to her account.
Ayas, a native of Istanbul, is a senior economist with the workforce-intelligence business Revelio Labs.
She initially spoke with The Wall Street Journal as part of an investigation into how iPhone thieves lock individuals out of their Apple accounts by using their passcodes to access the phone, then changing the device’s password and collecting bank account information.
Ayas stated in an interview with Insider that she was standing outside the pub when her iPhone 13 Pro Max was stolen. She believes he witnessed her input her passcode and waited for the opportunity to steal her device.
The 31-year-old stated that she used another iPhone’s “Find My iPhone” function to try to locate her own.
Yet, Ayas stated that her Apple account had been locked at that point. “I had no idea what was happening,” she told Insider.
The next day, she filed a police report and provides evidence of a password-reset request and login information from after her device was stolen. Insider examined the police report and the alerts.
She was unable to access her MacBook since she had lost access to her Apple account. She contacted Apple support, who instructed her to get a new iPhone and SIM card. Despite her efforts, she was unable to access her account.
According to a bank statement accessed by Insider, $10,000 was withdrawn from Ayas’ bank account within the following twenty-four hours. It was suggested that she open a new account and move all of her funds to it.
Ayas stated she received an email from Credit Karma containing a credit card application for an Apple credit card while seeking assistance at an Apple Store. While on hold with Apple-card assistance, another email informed her that her application had been approved.
Ayas stated that the support team “was not helpful at all.” She then called Goldman Sachs, the company that supplies Apple’s credit cards, and received assistance.
Ayas was quite irritated by Apple’s persistent inquiry, “Have you tried ‘Find My iPhone’?”
“Obviously, I attempted it within three minutes. This is obviously a joke to you. My entire life is in shambles, yet you continue to ask if I attempted it “She revealed to Insider.
Ayas was informed by an Apple agent during her most recent contact that there was no way to recover access to her iCloud account.
“Apple takes great pleasure in its closed-off security environment. Yet they rarely discuss if someone has access to this closed-security environment; it is also inaccessible to account holders “Ayas stated. Absolutely, it can turn against you.
Alex Argiro, a former NYPD investigator who retired in 2022, told The Journal that hundreds of identical crimes had been committed in New York during the previous two years. Once inside, the phone is like a treasure chest.
Similar incidents have been reported in Austin, Texas, Colorado, Boston, and London.
Apple has account-recovery measures to prevent criminal actors from accessing user accounts, according to a spokesman who spoke to The Journal on behalf of the business.
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