iPhone passcode thief reveals his secrets; this guy is your worst nightmare،
Protect your iPhone password and don't give it away
Getting the password was one thing, but gaining possession of the phone required him to resort to “deception and violence,” according to his arrest warrant. And once he had your phone and password, you were in big trouble. He would go to Settings, then iCloud, and click Reset Password. After entering the stolen password, he replaced it with his own number. He then disabled Find My iPhone, which completely locked out the rightful owner of the device.
All iPhone users should protect their password. With the password, someone can change your Apple ID and access your account. Johnson got to the point where he could lock someone out of their iPhone and change the password and Apple ID in just five to 10 seconds. With the passcode, Johnson could change Face ID so that his own face unlocks the device and gives him access to passwords used in banking, securities and other financial applications.
As Johnson noted while speaking with Stern, once you have your face on Face ID, “you have the key to everything.” He admitted to opening apps to access the victims' savings accounts, checking accounts, cryptocurrency apps, Venmo, and PayPal. And if he couldn't unlock the phone with his face, he opened the Notes app which he considered a treasure trove of information. That's where he would find the passwords and social security numbers.
Apple will release Stolen Device Protection feature with iOS 17.3
Stealing iPhones at a rate of five to ten a night, he used 30 iPhones over the course of a weekend. The sale of the stolen devices alone would bring in $20,000 per week. Some of these funds were used to purchase iPad Pro tablets which Johnson sold to generate more cash. Ironically, Johnson says Apple should do more to protect its customers. And indeed, that is the case.
For an hour, no changes would be made and Face ID or Touch ID verification would be required again. The one-hour delay is important because it gives victims an hour to discover that they don't have access to their phone and report it to Apple, hopefully in time.
In addition to leaving passwords and important personal data out of the Notes app, use a passcode that consists of both numbers and letters. Be careful how you expose your password and don't give it away.