iPhone stolen, received text saying its been found?

[mancinna2011]

Hello,
I had my iPhone stolen last Friday, as soon as I realised I logged into iCloud on my iPad and chose "Mark as lost". I tracked the device for a few hours and could see it moving round, I decided against trying to chase it down and instead rang the police and got a reference number and then contacted my insurance to get a new device.

A few hours after the "mark as lost", I sent the erase command and it was stuck pending as I think the battery has died. Fast forward to today and my mother has received a text message;

Dear MY NAME, Your lost iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB Gold has been found. View location: REFERENCENUMBER
FindMy Support.

(Note: possibly infected URL removed by moderator)

The text message says it has come from "Apple" and when I tap this there is no number or anything.
If you click on the link, it takes me to a page where its requesting my AppleID which immediately makes me think they are trying to scam me so they can remove the activation lock so immediately closed it.

However, I am really confused if this is a legitimate text or not. I don't know how they have got my mothers details and what I should do next. I am now worried if they have managed to bypass the passcode on my phone and now have access to my phone.

Thank you.

 

[Puonti]

You mention passcode - did you have Face ID on?

Edit:
Actually, I don't think it matters. The takeaway here is that you should consider the phone lost for good. Whomever stole it is going to play on your hopes and fears and try to get you to click on links (which you did, so now they know you're susceptible to mindgames), divulge your Apple ID (which you didn't), or get you to release the phone remotely (might be their next move, claiming they've managed to access your private data on it).

As for how they got your information, you've probably set your Medical ID to be available on the Lock Screen (hold down power + volume buttons to access it) and your mother is likely your Emergency Contact. That's how they can get your name and her phone number.

I don't know how or even if Apple would ever contact you about a found phone, but I don't think they'd reach out to your mother.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Phone is gone. I suggest never remove the iCloud lock on it.

 

[mancinna2011]

You mention passcode - did you have Face ID on?

Edit:
Actually, I don't think it matters. The takeaway here is that you should consider the phone lost for good. Whomever stole it is going to play on your hopes and fears and try to get you to click on links (which you did, so now they know you're susceptible to mindgames), divulge your Apple ID (which you didn't), or get you to release the phone remotely (might be their next move, claiming they've managed to access your private data on it).

As for how they got your information, you've probably set your Medical ID to be available on the Lock Screen (hold down power + volume buttons to access it) and your mother is likely your Emergency Contact. That's how they can get your name and her phone number.

I don't know how or even if Apple would ever contact you about a found phone, but I don't think they'd reach out to your mother.

Yes definitely accepted the phone is gone, just got me scared that they had somehow accessed my phone. My partner just received a text message also, I put their number on a message when I did the lock offering a reward so I think you may be correct, my mother will be my emergency medical contact and they have my partners number from when I did the first lock. So they are just trying both numbers as a phishing attempt to get my iCloud details.

I contacted Apple and they confirmed the link and message is definitely not from them, and confirmed my phone is definitely still showing as being locked so that is a relief to a certain extent.

Phone is gone. I suggest never remove the iCloud lock on it.

Yep definitely, of course. They can make use of all the other parts I guess but at least my data is ok!

 

[BATman.Berlin]

why don't you log in to the legitimate Apple ID site and find out?