Protecting Your iPhone: Insights from a Thief Who Stole $300K Worth of iPhones
A former homeless man serving a 94-month sentence for stealing iPhones has revealed his tactics to the Wall Street Journal. Aaron Johnson targeted inebriated individuals in bars and clubs, often offering drugs or claiming to be a rapper to gain their trust. He would ask for their passcodes, record them, and quickly change passwords and biometrics to gain full access to the devices. Johnson would then exploit banking and cryptocurrency apps, transferring money and going on shopping sprees. Apple is introducing Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3 to prevent such thefts in the future. Johnson shared his methods to help others and is already serving time for his crimes.