Stolen MacBook Pro 16” 2021

[Luked1994]

Hi Guys,

Hope you don’t mind me posting here. I had a Silver MacBook Pro 16” 2021 stolen from me along with my passport, hard drives with work and numerous other invaluable items while transiting through Hamburg on my way to Copenhagen last week. Unfortunately was one of those situations you think will never happen to you until it does.

I wanted to share on here to put the serial number online on the slim chance somebody may see this.

DYX7L4HW0M

It has been a real ordeal as I am an Australian photographer travelling on an assignment and now currently stranded without any of my equipment or passport so desperately doing everything in my power to get it back or at least have the option to buy it back somehow.

I had Find My activated and it stayed in the same spot where it was taken. A few days ago it appeared on a street in the Ukraine which seems to be a market so the location has updated but the lost mode still seems to be pending is that normal? I’m praying that it will still be locked somehow.

I know it’s a long shot but would desperately do anything for its safe return.

 

[4743913]

Hi Guys,

Hope you don’t mind me posting here. I had a Silver MacBook Pro 16” 2021 stolen from me along with my passport, hard drives with work and numerous other invaluable items while transiting through Hamburg on my way to Copenhagen last week. Unfortunately was one of those situations you think will never happen to you until it does.

I wanted to share on here to put the serial number online on the slim chance somebody may see this.

DYX7L4HW0M

It has been a real ordeal as I am an Australian photographer travelling on an assignment and now currently stranded without any of my equipment or passport so desperately doing everything in my power to get it back or at least have the option to buy it back somehow.

I had Find My activated and it stayed in the same spot where it was taken. A few days ago it appeared on a street in the Ukraine which seems to be a market so the location has updated but the lost mode still seems to be pending is that normal? I’m praying that it will still be locked somehow.

I know it’s a long shot but would desperately do anything for its safe return.

this is horrible. Did you have Vault turned on? I believe they can only be able to strip it down for parts as a locked Macbook Pro is essentially useless.

 

[Luked1994]

this is horrible. Did you have Vault turned on? I believe they can only be able to strip it down for parts as a locked Macbook Pro is essentially useless.

I can’t remember unfortunately. I have a feeling it was automatically on 🙏🙏

 

[casperes1996]

I can’t remember unfortunately. I have a feeling it was automatically on 🙏🙏

If you never disabled it, on modern Macs it's automatically on by default. In fact, the Secure Enclave always encrypts even if it doesn't encrypt with an actual password but just a blank dud (when you have it disabled)

The Lost Mode should activate when the computer is opened and attempted to connect to internet. They won't be able to wipe it or anything without your password even if they never connect it to the internet. Apple has done a lot to make Stolen Macs less attractive by making them hard to make use of. I doubt you'll ever get it back and you probably have to just write it off as a loss, hope some insurance covers the financial cost. But at the very least the thieves won't get much out of it. Or in a more pessimistic perspective, the thieves already have and the poor bugger they sold it to will be SOL. In any case, your personal data on the machine itself should be fairly safe. The external drives may be compromised data wise depending on their encryption status

 

[Luked1994]

If you never disabled it, on modern Macs it's automatically on by default. In fact, the Secure Enclave always encrypts even if it doesn't encrypt with an actual password but just a blank dud (when you have it disabled)

The Lost Mode should activate when the computer is opened and attempted to connect to internet. They won't be able to wipe it or anything without your password even if they never connect it to the internet. Apple has done a lot to make Stolen Macs less attractive by making them hard to make use of. I doubt you'll ever get it back and you probably have to just write it off as a loss, hope some insurance covers the financial cost. But at the very least the thieves won't get much out of it. Or in a more pessimistic perspective, the thieves already have and the poor bugger they sold it to will be SOL. In any case, your personal data on the machine itself should be fairly safe. The external drives may be compromised data wise depending on their encryption status

Thanks for your reply. That is good to know. Would it have to of connected to the internet to show me the last location? That’s why I was confused that the lock still says pending.
I’ve monitored every marketplace and it still doesn’t seem to have appeared anywhere. I have someone hopefully going to look at where it’s saying it was as a last resort

 

[casperes1996]

Thanks for your reply. That is good to know. Would it have to of connected to the internet to show me the last location? That’s why I was confused that the lock still says pending.
I’ve monitored every marketplace and it still doesn’t seem to have appeared anywhere. I have someone hopefully going to look at where it’s saying it was as a last resort

Not necessarily, no. Apple's Find My system is a network on its own. If the device is within range of another Apple device, they can anonymously connect and update location without having access to the internet

 

[Luked1994]

Hi All. Just a few questions on this if somebody doesn’t mind. Is it possible to get into the computer or restore it if they don’t connect to the internet and my “Lost Mode” stays on pending?

Also whoever stole it tried to hack my iCloud via phishing a few days later on SMS followed by WhatsApp messages which to my knowledge was unsuccessful. If they did somehow gain access to the computer would it remove under my devices or the computer name change? It is still listed as my device and the name hasn’t changed so hoping they haven’t gained access.

 

[Fishrrman]

Frankly, if it has ended up in the Ukraine, I don't think you're going to be seeing it again.
Nor are you going to see the data on it again (unless it was backed up).

Best to take whatever actions are required to secure your identity, etc.
And then get a replacement.

 

[Luked1994]

Frankly, if it has ended up in the Ukraine, I don't think you're going to be seeing it again.
Nor are you going to see the data on it again (unless it was backed up).

Best to take whatever actions are required to secure your identity, etc.
And then get a replacement.

That wasn’t what I was asking but thank you. I’ve taken all identity steps and have had a lead on the computer so just wanted to be across the iCloud situation.

 

[kitKAC]

Hi All. Just a few questions on this if somebody doesn’t mind. Is it possible to get into the computer or restore it if they don’t connect to the internet and my “Lost Mode” stays on pending?

Also whoever stole it tried to hack my iCloud via phishing a few days later on SMS followed by WhatsApp messages which to my knowledge was unsuccessful. If they did somehow gain access to the computer would it remove under my devices or the computer name change? It is still listed as my device and the name hasn’t changed so hoping they haven’t gained access.

They'd need your iCloud password to Turn off Find My or remove your iCloud account from the machine. How'd they try to phish you?

 

[Luked1994]

They'd need your iCloud password to Turn off Find My or remove your iCloud account from the machine. How'd they try to phish you?

See attached. I didn’t enter any information fortunately

 

[kitKAC]

See attached. I didn’t enter any information fortunately

When you put the machine into Lost Mode, did you put a message that has your phone number?

 

[Luked1994]

When you put the machine into Lost Mode, did you put a message that has your phone number?

Yep I did. Lost still says pending though even though the location updated from
Germany to Ukraine

 

[kitKAC]

Yep I did. Lost still says pending though even though the location updated from
Germany to Ukraine

If they got your number to try and get your iCloud details, maybe Lost Mode has been activated after all, despite the status?

 

[Fishrrman]

Again... I seriously doubt the OP is going to get the cooperation of "law enforcement" in Ukraine to assist in getting it back (considering the situation that country is in right now).

If it was still in Germany... perhaps.
But Ukraine? Furgheddaboutit.

My opinion only
Others will disagree
Some will disagree vehemently

 

[Luked1994]

Again... I seriously doubt the OP is going to get the cooperation of "law enforcement" in Ukraine to assist in getting it back (considering the situation that country is in right now).

If it was still in Germany... perhaps.
But Ukraine? Furgheddaboutit.

My opinion only
Others will disagree
Some will disagree vehemently

I’m clearly aware of this and never did so mention law enforcement.

I have the computer returning after doing my own investigations.

 

[Luked1994]

As mentioned above the computer is on a plane back to me in an amazing twist of fate but I just wanted to clarify. The images I’ve seen of it have shown it stuck on the activate screen and it’s all in tact. Does this mean all my files should still be on it once it returns and I disable lost my computer on find my friends? There isn’t anyway the thieves could have factory reset it without the iCloud password?

 

[Fishrrman]

Tell us about that "amazing twist of fate".
Sounds like a good story.

 

[Luked1994]

Here is the screen it’s currently locked on that my friend sent me who has no idea about computers. I’m worried all my data has somehow been removed - is this what this screen means? Soon as it arrives back in my country I am going to take off lost mode from my phone and connect it to WIFI. Should that mean my existing user accounts will just appear? If anybody could help it would be greatly appreciated. I am ecstatic I have been able to get it back but nervous about losing the contents of it.

 

[17fox]

Here is the screen it’s currently locked on that my friend sent me who has no idea about computers. I’m worried all my data has somehow been removed - is this what this screen means? Soon as it arrives back in my country I am going to take off lost mode from my phone and connect it to WIFI. Should that mean my existing user accounts will just appear? If anybody could help it would be greatly appreciated. I am ecstatic I have been able to get it back but nervous about losing the contents of it.

Your photo is quite unclear to understand something. Anyway, I highly doubt those guys could erase your Mac (unless you did via Find My) or do anything else to your personal data

 

[Luked1994]

Your photo is quite unclear to understand something. Anyway, I highly doubt those guys could erase your Mac (unless you did via Find My) or do anything else to your personal data.

Thanks so much for your reply. Just an unfortunate reply but glad to be getting it back. It seems to be this same messaging (found online).

I never wiped it from my iCloud or anything like that so wasn’t sure whether they were able to work this message.

 

[17fox]

Thanks so much for your reply. Just an unfortunate reply but glad to be getting it back. It seems to be this same messaging (found online).

I never wiped it from my iCloud or anything like that so wasn’t sure whether they were able to work this message.

Ah, okay. Well, as I said - I doubt that they could erase anything.

 

[Sully]

As mentioned above the computer is on a plane back to me in an amazing twist of fate but I just wanted to clarify. The images I’ve seen of it have shown it stuck on the activate screen and it’s all in tact. Does this mean all my files should still be on it once it returns and I disable lost my computer on find my friends? There isn’t anyway the thieves could have factory reset it without the iCloud password?

Yes. It should fine. But, if it were my computer, I would wipe the SSD and reload a fresh copy of the OS and then reinstall my data from a back up.

How did you get it back?

 

[chrfr]

It has probably been erased if it's at the activation prompt.

 

[jlc1978]

Your photo is quite unclear to understand something. Anyway, I highly doubt those guys could erase your Mac (unless you did via Find My) or do anything else to your personal data

IIRC, you can do a factory reset even with activation lock activated, you will still need the Apple ID and Password to activate the Mac.