How do online activation lock services work?

[eugeneze]

I buy and sell iPhones. I run across a lot of locked phones, and I've seen on eBay a lot of these unlock services. All you have to do is send them your IMEI and the picture of the activation screen. When I look online though I can't find any guide on how they do this. Does anyone know how they do this?

 

[DoofenshmirtzEI]

Well, based on the lawsuit that AT&T filed against one recently, they con employees to do it for them illicitly.