Thieves unlock stolen iPhones using cheap tools sold on Telegram

Helping a friend recover a stolen phone, Infoblox researchers uncovered a thriving Telegram-based underground marketplace selling unlocking tools and phishing infrastructure used to monetize stolen iPhones. Activation Lock can remotely disable a stolen iPhone and prevent normal resale, with owners also able to lock individual components. Even with those protections, more than 7.35 million iPhones are reportedly stolen each year in the United States alone.