Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

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Theseus
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Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Theseus »

Hi
As it would have it, I was standing outside on the edge of the sidewalk in one of the safest areas in London. A guy come speeds down on a bicycle and swipes my iPhone from my hands (plenty of people around). I ran after him but to no avail. I consider myself very cautious traveler and I am just shocked that this actually happened to me.

I have done/doing following so far and just want to know what else I am missing.

1. Filed a police report. Will get a copy to file for a claim under Chase Ink card (DW checked I get up to $600 coverage).
2. On iCloud reported phone as a Lost. Apple support indicated that this deactivates the phone, erases everything, and makes it useless to anyone except me.
3. Changed passwords to fidelity, vanguard, bank and other financial institutions.
4. Change passwords to email accounts.
5. Change passwords to miscellaneous sites ...probably about 200 of them (such a bogleheads).
7. DW is checking if homeowners insurance or umbrella policy covers it.
8. DW is checking to see Chase Sapphire Reserve has any additional benefits.
9. Change Apple ID password.

Anything else I am missing?

This is such a nightmare.
Last edited by Theseus on Sun Jul 14, 2019 5:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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catdude
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by catdude »

Do you have an iPad with you? Can you run Find My iPhone?

Edit: Never mind. I just re-read your OP and realized your iPhone has been de-activated...
Last edited by catdude on Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
catdude | | All generalizations are false, including this one.
gtd98765
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by gtd98765 »

That looks like a good list. Did you have a PIN or password set on your iPhone? Was it unlocked when it was stolen?
tenkuky
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by tenkuky »

Sorry this happened.
If you have 2 factor authentication like Symantec, notify the relevant financial firm.
Ditto for those that text you a passcode
MotoTrojan
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by MotoTrojan »

You changed your password to 200 sites? Sorry this happened to you.
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Sandtrap
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Sandtrap »

Theseus wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:40 pm Hi
As it would have it, I was standing outside on the edge of the sidewalk in one of the safest areas in London. A guy come speeds down on a bicycle and swipes my iPhone from my hands (plenty of people around). I ran after him but to no avail. I consider myself very cautious traveler and I am just shocked that this actually happened to me.

I have done/doing following so far and just want to know what else I am missing.

1. Filed a police report. Will get a copy to file for a claim under Chase Ink card (DW checked I get up to $600 coverage).
2. On iCloud reported phone as a Lost. Apple support indicated that this deactivates the phone, erases everything, and makes it useless to anyone except me.
3. Changed passwords to fidelity, vanguard, bank and other financial institutions.
4. Change passwords to email accounts.
5. Change passwords to miscellaneous sites ...probably about 200 of them (such a bogleheads).
7. DW is checking if homeowners insurance or umbrella policy covers it.
8. DW is checking to see Chase Sapphire Reserve has any additional benefits.
9. Change Apple ID password.

Anything else I am missing?

This is such a nightmare.
Sorry you had a bad experience.
You were well prepared.

As to #2 above:
Question:


Do all iPhones have this feature?
(I have an iPhone 7+)

How does Apple deactivate and erase an iPhone?

Thanks.
j
Last edited by Sandtrap on Thu Jul 11, 2019 8:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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chessknt
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by chessknt »

Did it have no screen lock? I would assume the guy is just going to wipe it and sell it rather than commit mission impossible level financial crimes and identity theft against a random target of opportunity whose bank balances could be 3 figures for all he knows.
michaelingp
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by michaelingp »

I figured what we learned from the San Bernardino shootings is that iPhones are pretty difficult to crack. I don't think your average pickpocket is going to pay the Israelis a million dollars to crack your phone password. Even if your phone was unlocked when it was snatched, most likely the financial apps and your password manager app require that password. I don't think the thief wants to spend a lot of time browsing through the phone looking for valuable information, knowing that the phone could be located with Find my iPhone. So, I think, realistically, changing your email and iCloud passwords might be all you need. Personally, I'd probably do what you did except for the 200 random passwords.

Does setting the phone status to Lost give you any feedback that the phone was actually wiped?
mpsz
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by mpsz »

Sandtrap wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 8:18 pm
Theseus wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:40 pm 2. On iCloud reported phone as a Lost. Apple support indicated that this deactivates the phone, erases everything, and makes it useless to anyone except me.
Do all iPhones have this feature?
(I have an iPhone 7+)
Your iPhone 7 has this feature if you use iCloud and have enabled Find my iPhone.
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH2701?locale=en_US
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CyclingDuo
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by CyclingDuo »

Theseus wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:40 pm Hi
As it would have it, I was standing outside on the edge of the sidewalk in one of the safest areas in London. A guy come speeds down on a bicycle and swipes my iPhone from my hands (plenty of people around). I ran after him but to no avail. I consider myself very cautious traveler and I am just shocked that this actually happened to me.

I have done/doing following so far and just want to know what else I am missing.

1. Filed a police report. Will get a copy to file for a claim under Chase Ink card (DW checked I get up to $600 coverage).
2. On iCloud reported phone as a Lost. Apple support indicated that this deactivates the phone, erases everything, and makes it useless to anyone except me.
3. Changed passwords to fidelity, vanguard, bank and other financial institutions.
4. Change passwords to email accounts.
5. Change passwords to miscellaneous sites ...probably about 200 of them (such a bogleheads).
7. DW is checking if homeowners insurance or umbrella policy covers it.
8. DW is checking to see Chase Sapphire Reserve has any additional benefits.
9. Change Apple ID password.

Anything else I am missing?

This is such a nightmare.
The beauty of the iPhone (provided you had a passcode and finger ID or Face ID set up) is that the thief cannot get into it. No Apple technician will unlock it for a thief as it would be in activation lock unless the thief could provide a proof of purchase sales receipt.

You're good to go.

Those who bypass the Face ID/Passcode/Finger code are at the mercy of a thief. Always make sure to set up the passcode and Face/Finger ID to protect your data.

You may want to consider getting Apple Care+ with Theft & Loss protection on your next phone.
"Save like a pessimist, invest like an optimist." - Morgan Housel | "Pick a bushel, save a peck!" - Grandpa
Katietsu
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Katietsu »

What is your concern with the 200 miscellaneous passwords? If you are using iCloud Keychain, they would need face/Touch ID to access the passwords, wouldn’t they? Or at least your passcode. They would have to be very lucky to get through that barrier before you erased your phone.

I have about 20 sites where I keep passwords that are very strong and unique. But, there are so many others that have limited risk associated with them. I mean if someone logs in to my grocery store rewards card account, why do I really care? I personally would not lose sleep or change my plans to update passwords with low risk.
Topic Author
Theseus
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Theseus »

Sandtrap wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 8:18 pm
Theseus wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:40 pm Hi
As it would have it, I was standing outside on the edge of the sidewalk in one of the safest areas in London. A guy come speeds down on a bicycle and swipes my iPhone from my hands (plenty of people around). I ran after him but to no avail. I consider myself very cautious traveler and I am just shocked that this actually happened to me.

I have done/doing following so far and just want to know what else I am missing.

1. Filed a police report. Will get a copy to file for a claim under Chase Ink card (DW checked I get up to $600 coverage).
2. On iCloud reported phone as a Lost. Apple support indicated that this deactivates the phone, erases everything, and makes it useless to anyone except me.
3. Changed passwords to fidelity, vanguard, bank and other financial institutions.
4. Change passwords to email accounts.
5. Change passwords to miscellaneous sites ...probably about 200 of them (such a bogleheads).
7. DW is checking if homeowners insurance or umbrella policy covers it.
8. DW is checking to see Chase Sapphire Reserve has any additional benefits.
9. Change Apple ID password.

Anything else I am missing?

This is such a nightmare.
Sorry you had a bad experience.
You were well prepared.

As to #2 above:
Question:


Do all iPhones have this feature?
(I have an iPhone 7+)

How does Apple deactivate and erase an iPhone?

Thanks.
j
Here is more detailed information that will be useful to you and others.

https://www.macrumors.com/guide/what-to ... or-stolen/

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201472
sambb
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by sambb »

The iphone is wonderful since it has these great features - makes theft a non-issue outside of the replacement cost.
theplayer11
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by theplayer11 »

you were robbed, not mugged
NotWhoYouThink
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by NotWhoYouThink »

email everyone in your contact list telling them you were mugged in London and asking them to send you money.
fallingeggs
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by fallingeggs »

I am also of the side that says you don't need to change all those passwords. Maybe the financial ones if that makes you feel better. The only people that might possibly be able to hack an iPhone are certain governments (or their university researchers) and maybe Apple itself (although it would never admit this). I imagine the stole iPhones get broken up for parts with only the core processor and memory being useless.
j0e0r7
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by j0e0r7 »

What is your concern with the 200 miscellaneous passwords? If you are using iCloud Keychain, they would need face/Touch ID to access the passwords, wouldn’t they? Or at least your passcode. They would have to be very lucky to get through that barrier before you erased your phone.

I have about 20 sites where I keep passwords that are very strong and unique. But, there are so many others that have limited risk associated with them. I mean if someone logs in to my grocery store rewards card account, why do I really care? I personally would not lose sleep or change my plans to update passwords with low risk.
If the thief grabbed the phone when it was unlocked, they now have access to multi factor authentication (phone number and email) ... that's what I'd be pretty concerned about. A fast-acting robber could at the very least make your life a pain for a while. I'd change all my passwords just to cover bases, plus it's good practice to change them from time to time anyway.
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lthenderson
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by lthenderson »

When my mom passed away last fall, it took me three weeks of frustration, getting death certificates, identification showing me as a son, etc. and talking with Apple before I finally got into her phone. In the end, I found her password written down, Apple was no help at all. If the screen had a pin number, I say good luck to the thief.

We have the 6s iPhones. If the person has the Find My iPhone feature enabled, it can be wiped and locked from any Apple iPhone that you can borrow by simple logging into the Find My iPhone app as yourself. Even if the phone is turned off, it gives you the ability to wipe it and lock it as soon as it gets turned back on and connects to the system.
WhyNotUs
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by WhyNotUs »

Sounds like you did a thorough job.

If you still have the box at home, you could email the serial number to the police just in case it ever shows up.
I own the next hot stock- VTSAX
pivoprussia
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by pivoprussia »

Notify your cellular carrier
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mmmodem
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by mmmodem »

sambb wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 4:16 am The iphone is wonderful since it has these great features - makes theft a non-issue outside of the replacement cost.
This is the same for Android as well. I lost my phone once and I did same as OP with lots of worrying and passwords to change. The last time I lost my phone? I deleted all phone data remotely with find my phone. I did not have to change any passwords. Thank goodness because I actually got my phone back and recovered everything on the cloud. Just make sure you have faceid, thumb print, or passcode lock enabled.
JackoC
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by JackoC »

j0e0r7 wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 7:49 am
What is your concern with the 200 miscellaneous passwords? If you are using iCloud Keychain, they would need face/Touch ID to access the passwords, wouldn’t they? Or at least your passcode. They would have to be very lucky to get through that barrier before you erased your phone.

I have about 20 sites where I keep passwords that are very strong and unique. But, there are so many others that have limited risk associated with them. I mean if someone logs in to my grocery store rewards card account, why do I really care? I personally would not lose sleep or change my plans to update passwords with low risk.
If the thief grabbed the phone when it was unlocked, they now have access to multi factor authentication (phone number and email) ... that's what I'd be pretty concerned about. A fast-acting robber could at the very least make your life a pain for a while. I'd change all my passwords just to cover bases, plus it's good practice to change them from time to time anyway.
Why does losing your iPhone even unlocked give anyone access to your passwords? I scanned the thread for an explicit reason but didn't see it. My leading guess is that it's assumed the person is using some service where Apple stores their passwords*. Did I get it right? :D

But one reason I don't store PW's in a way that could be accessed from my phone is this case. The other is my limited belief in the security of any corporate system storing my data, on their side. It's true that two factor authentication with text message or email to phone would be defeated if the thief has PW and (unlocked) phone, but that seems to me more a reason not for there to be a way to access your PW's from your phone. My PW storage method could be defeated by someone who knew what it was, but they have to guess the method first and can't access all the PW's by stealing anything I carry outside the house.

*a more high tech guess would be they somehow access some kind of key log on the phone to see the passwords that were typed in? That would work against me for a couple of medium security banking apps and a few low security things but I don't access highest security things from my phone. I also have some financial accounts that aren't accessible by computer at all, as last ditch security back up.
j0e0r7
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by j0e0r7 »

Why does losing your iPhone even unlocked give anyone access to your passwords? I scanned the thread for an explicit reason but didn't see it. My leading guess is that it's assumed the person is using some service where Apple stores their passwords*. Did I get it right? :D
I’d be worried about your passwords getting changed. Call me paranoid, I guess, but they’d have your access to your email (if you use an email app) and your phone (text and voice). Most accounts would have security questions (not all do though), but these could potentially be guessed or they could call the company using your phone # and pretend to be you. Why take chances? I’d immediately change my email pw, followed by everything else.
j9j
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by j9j »

Sorry this happened. Amazing what happens in broad daylight nowadays

Your action list is more than sufficient and most importantly the phone is wiped.

Basically the thief is going to sell it for parts.
JackoC
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by JackoC »

j0e0r7 wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 9:58 am
Why does losing your iPhone even unlocked give anyone access to your passwords? I scanned the thread for an explicit reason but didn't see it. My leading guess is that it's assumed the person is using some service where Apple stores their passwords*. Did I get it right? :D
I’d be worried about your passwords getting changed. Call me paranoid, I guess, but they’d have your access to your email (if you use an email app) and your phone (text and voice). Most accounts would have security questions (not all do though), but these could potentially be guessed or they could call the company using your phone # and pretend to be you. Why take chances? I’d immediately change my email pw, followed by everything else.
I still haven't seen it explained why somebody who stole my phone, assuming it wasn't locked, would get any of my PW's. If they could just change my PW's using my email and cellphone it wouldn't necessarily help for me to change the PW :happy . But OP and others are specifically talking about changing PW's if a phone gets stolen, not about removing the stolen phone's number or email address from the account (though those might be more thorough going responses I guess*). I'm asking why it's assumed a thief would get any of my PW's if they got my (even unlocked) phone.

*I don't view my security questions as reasonably guessable or researchable, and you have to go through voice verification if you call Vanguard and say it's you. Nor is the cell number the one given in all my accounts, I try to diversify that between home and cell. And again not all my financial accounts are accessible online, for the same reason.
bluebolt
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by bluebolt »

JackoC wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 11:32 am
j0e0r7 wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 9:58 am
Why does losing your iPhone even unlocked give anyone access to your passwords? I scanned the thread for an explicit reason but didn't see it. My leading guess is that it's assumed the person is using some service where Apple stores their passwords*. Did I get it right? :D
I’d be worried about your passwords getting changed. Call me paranoid, I guess, but they’d have your access to your email (if you use an email app) and your phone (text and voice). Most accounts would have security questions (not all do though), but these could potentially be guessed or they could call the company using your phone # and pretend to be you. Why take chances? I’d immediately change my email pw, followed by everything else.
I still haven't seen it explained why somebody who stole my phone, assuming it wasn't locked, would get any of my PW's. If they could just change my PW's using my email and cellphone it wouldn't necessarily help for me to change the PW :happy . But OP and others are specifically talking about changing PW's if a phone gets stolen, not about removing the stolen phone's number or email address from the account (though those might be more thorough going responses I guess*). I'm asking why it's assumed a thief would get any of my PW's if they got my (even unlocked) phone.

*I don't view my security questions as reasonably guessable or researchable, and you have to go through voice verification if you call Vanguard and say it's you. Nor is the cell number the one given in all my accounts, I try to diversify that between home and cell. And again not all my financial accounts are accessible online, for the same reason.
I would think it's more related to some apps keeping you logged in versus explicit access to passwords, so changing your password would prevent further action in those apps. I don't know of any bank/financial apps that do that. That, or the ability to access accounts with two-factor authentication.
j0e0r7
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by j0e0r7 »

JackoC wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 11:32 am
j0e0r7 wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 9:58 am
Why does losing your iPhone even unlocked give anyone access to your passwords? I scanned the thread for an explicit reason but didn't see it. My leading guess is that it's assumed the person is using some service where Apple stores their passwords*. Did I get it right? :D
I’d be worried about your passwords getting changed. Call me paranoid, I guess, but they’d have your access to your email (if you use an email app) and your phone (text and voice). Most accounts would have security questions (not all do though), but these could potentially be guessed or they could call the company using your phone # and pretend to be you. Why take chances? I’d immediately change my email pw, followed by everything else.
I still haven't seen it explained why somebody who stole my phone, assuming it wasn't locked, would get any of my PW's. If they could just change my PW's using my email and cellphone it wouldn't necessarily help for me to change the PW :happy . But OP and others are specifically talking about changing PW's if a phone gets stolen, not about removing the stolen phone's number or email address from the account (though those might be more thorough going responses I guess*). I'm asking why it's assumed a thief would get any of my PW's if they got my (even unlocked) phone.

*I don't view my security questions as reasonably guessable or researchable, and you have to go through voice verification if you call Vanguard and say it's you. Nor is the cell number the one given in all my accounts, I try to diversify that between home and cell. And again not all my financial accounts are accessible online, for the same reason.
You are 100% right that a thief with your unlocked phone will probably not have access to your existing passwords. Most of those are hashed and salted so that no one can ever know them but you. Emphasis on "most." Personally, I would change all my passwords if my unlocked phone got stolen, but it's a free country and you do not have to do it and would probably be fine if you wipe your phone immediately.

One should be vigilant and never trust that sites have no security holes that hackers can exploit. Once they get in to one part of your digital presence they could possibly take everything. See for example this guy's story.https://www.wired.com/2012/08/apple-ama ... n-hacking/
JackoC
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by JackoC »

j0e0r7 wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 6:11 pm
JackoC wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 11:32 am
j0e0r7 wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 9:58 am
Why does losing your iPhone even unlocked give anyone access to your passwords? I scanned the thread for an explicit reason but didn't see it. My leading guess is that it's assumed the person is using some service where Apple stores their passwords*. Did I get it right? :D
I’d be worried about your passwords getting changed. Call me paranoid, I guess, but they’d have your access to your email (if you use an email app) and your phone (text and voice). Most accounts would have security questions (not all do though), but these could potentially be guessed or they could call the company using your phone # and pretend to be you. Why take chances? I’d immediately change my email pw, followed by everything else.
I still haven't seen it explained why somebody who stole my phone, assuming it wasn't locked, would get any of my PW's. If they could just change my PW's using my email and cellphone it wouldn't necessarily help for me to change the PW :happy . But OP and others are specifically talking about changing PW's if a phone gets stolen, not about removing the stolen phone's number or email address from the account (though those might be more thorough going responses I guess*). I'm asking why it's assumed a thief would get any of my PW's if they got my (even unlocked) phone.

*I don't view my security questions as reasonably guessable or researchable, and you have to go through voice verification if you call Vanguard and say it's you. Nor is the cell number the one given in all my accounts, I try to diversify that between home and cell. And again not all my financial accounts are accessible online, for the same reason.
You are 100% right that a thief with your unlocked phone will probably not have access to your existing passwords. Most of those are hashed and salted so that no one can ever know them but you. Emphasis on "most." Personally, I would change all my passwords if my unlocked phone got stolen, but it's a free country and you do not have to do it and would probably be fine if you wipe your phone immediately.

One should be vigilant and never trust that sites have no security holes that hackers can exploit. Once they get in to one part of your digital presence they could possibly take everything. See for example this guy's story.https://www.wired.com/2012/08/apple-ama ... n-hacking/
Not trying to be contentious, just my factual question still isn't answered. I don't understand 'hashed and salted' either. I'm not trying to be contentious, just want somebody to explain explicitly with no assumptions I know stuff I might not know, how would my passwords be discovered by somebody who steals my phone when I don't store them on my phone?

As far as some other loophole that allows somebody with my cellphone number and email address to possibly get into my accounts *without* my PW's, I get that that's possible, maybe not so unlikely in some cases but pretty unlikely in the cases I'd really worry about. And there's no case where you have zero exposure. But again I'm stuck on passwords specifically. OP said they'd change *passwords* because phone was stolen. Why, specifically?
stan1
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by stan1 »

JackoC wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am
Not trying to be contentious, just my factual question still isn't answered. I don't understand 'hashed and salted' either. I'm not trying to be contentious, just want somebody to explain explicitly with no assumptions I know stuff I might not know, how would my passwords be discovered by somebody who steals my phone when I don't store them on my phone?

As far as some other loophole that allows somebody with my cellphone number and email address to possibly get into my accounts *without* my PW's, I get that that's possible, maybe not so unlikely in some cases but pretty unlikely in the cases I'd really worry about. And there's no case where you have zero exposure. But again I'm stuck on passwords specifically. OP said they'd change *passwords* because phone was stolen. Why, specifically?
If you don't have your passwords on the phone they can't be discovered directly if the phone is stolen. Some of what OP did was unnecessary and done out of an abundance of caution. Specifically he did not need to change 200 passwords based on what he told us. Obviously if he had a list of all his passwords up on the phone at the time it was grabbed yes he would need to do more. There are some password reset systems that send a text message to the phone if someone tries to reset the account. That's why it is important to contact the phone provider so they know phone is stolen.

Aa smart phone is a dumb phone without passwords. You need passwords on the phone to read email, use social media, use an electronic boarding pass, or be notified that your Amazon package is at the door. Most people have some passwords on their phone.

Main thing is putting a passcode or biometric factor like Face ID on the phone to unlock it and setting it up so you have to unlock again if the phone isn't used within a few minutes. Even if someone got hold of the unlocked phone they won't be able to see your passwords without re-authenticating which they won't be able to do. If someone grabs your phone they are going to spend the next few minutes running not stopping to try to look at apps. If you have the phone set to relock after a few minutes of non-use the thief won't have access to the apps. If you use a password manager of any type set it up to require that you re-authenticate any time you access the password at least for important accounts (Google, AppleID, Vanguard).
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mudfud
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by mudfud »

JackoC wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am

Not trying to be contentious, just my factual question still isn't answered. I don't understand 'hashed and salted' either. I'm not trying to be contentious, just want somebody to explain explicitly with no assumptions I know stuff I might not know, how would my passwords be discovered by somebody who steals my phone when I don't store them on my phone?

As far as some other loophole that allows somebody with my cellphone number and email address to possibly get into my accounts *without* my PW's, I get that that's possible, maybe not so unlikely in some cases but pretty unlikely in the cases I'd really worry about. And there's no case where you have zero exposure. But again I'm stuck on passwords specifically. OP said they'd change *passwords* because phone was stolen. Why, specifically?
It depends on how accounts are set up, but many can be accessed on a phone without having to renter a password. These include social media accounts, email accounts and so on. The email account is a big vulnerability, because one can use "forgot password" on an account, and have the reset link emailed, and then control the account. Many accounts don't require any additional authentication at this point. If two factor authentication is set up, then that is defeated just by having the phone.

Mud
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Buysider
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Buysider »

5. Change passwords to miscellaneous sites ...probably about 200 of them (such a bogleheads).
If a guy on a motorcycle steals your iphone and starts posting on bogleheads using your ID and password, I'd think that was a positive thing, no? I'm not sure many phone thieves use buy-and-hold portfolios, but I'd love to be asked the question!
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Theseus
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Theseus »

OP here. Thank you all for replies, suggestions and reassurance.

Edited the subject line to be more correct. I was robbed and not mugged.

Some people asked why I was changing all the passwords. I didn't change 200+ passwords. I don't remember if my phone was faceid unlocked or not when it was stolen. That made me nervous. So I changed financial institution passwords and email passwords as a caution. And used the desktop to logout of all other sessions of emails etc.

Some information for other that I hope you would never need.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Found out that Chase Sapphire Reserve would have reimbursed me up to $10,000 if this had happened within 120 days. Alas, I had bought it in December.
2. Umbrella. I have a higher deductible. So no reimbursement.
3. Chase Ink where I charge my monthly phone bills, will provide $600 after I file a claim with all information including police report and a receipt of the new phone.
4. London police only provides reference number of the case and no police report. So not sure what will happen, but I will submit the claim and provide an update.
5. Gmail allows you to logout of all other sessions at once. I used this to log out and changed the passwords.
6. Didn't change passwords of 200+ sites.
7. Phone has been inactive since it was stolen. And is dead now. Most likely will be sold for parts.

On the positive note
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. When this happened, 3 British ladies that came out of the same theater were immensely helpful. They called the police to make a report. Stayed with me. Got me an Uber (luckily I remembered my AirBnb address) and refused to accept any money. Must have been at least £25.
2. I store ALL my passwords in 1Password app. It's 256 bits encrypted.

Lesson learned
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Always carry an old back up phone that you can activate. I had packed one randomly.
2. These thieves know that when people come out of the theater they are going to check the phone. So stay away or don't face the road when checking the phone.
3. Don't keep id, credit card, money in the same case as the phone. I am glad I was carrying a minimalist wallet separately.
4. Have some cash and a backup credit card back in your luggage.
5. Don't check the phone often. Nothing that critical is happening in my life that can't wait another 30 minutes before I get to a more private location :)
3-20Characters
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by 3-20Characters »

Thanks for the follow up. There always seem to be good people who try their best to counterbalance the idiots and villains. Good to know they were there for you.

Things didn’t turn too bad for you. But even if your phone was unlocked, 1Password requires additional face or thumb ID (or master password) to unlock. Same for apple’s keychain when trying to log on to sites. So you were pretty well protected. When you get a new phone, good time to check 1Password app security settings and make sure “lock on exit” is turned on.

If phone has been unlocked, I’d be concerned that that crook figured out a way to get password reset from a site using sms 2FA from phone to verify identity. This would depend on each website and how they handle it. If an iPhone is locked, it’s basically a useless brick to thieves unless they have Israeli black box to unlock (not bloody likely /Brit accent). So yeah, probably sold for parts. Desperate/stupid criminals with high risk to profit operation.
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Trader Joe »

Theseus wrote: Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:40 pm Hi
As it would have it, I was standing outside on the edge of the sidewalk in one of the safest areas in London. A guy come speeds down on a bicycle and swipes my iPhone from my hands (plenty of people around). I ran after him but to no avail. I consider myself very cautious traveler and I am just shocked that this actually happened to me.

I have done/doing following so far and just want to know what else I am missing.

1. Filed a police report. Will get a copy to file for a claim under Chase Ink card (DW checked I get up to $600 coverage).
2. On iCloud reported phone as a Lost. Apple support indicated that this deactivates the phone, erases everything, and makes it useless to anyone except me.
3. Changed passwords to fidelity, vanguard, bank and other financial institutions.
4. Change passwords to email accounts.
5. Change passwords to miscellaneous sites ...probably about 200 of them (such a bogleheads).
7. DW is checking if homeowners insurance or umbrella policy covers it.
8. DW is checking to see Chase Sapphire Reserve has any additional benefits.
9. Change Apple ID password.

Anything else I am missing?

This is such a nightmare.
Thank you for posting. This is good to know. It sounds like the safest area in London is not so safe after all.

I will avoid London/U.K. in the future. Best of luck.
mptfan
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by mptfan »

Trader Joe wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:50 am I will avoid London/U.K. in the future. Best of luck.
That's your takeaway from this, to avoid the U.K.?
:oops:
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by fru-gal »

mptfan wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:06 am
Trader Joe wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:50 am I will avoid London/U.K. in the future. Best of luck.
That's your takeaway from this, to avoid the U.K.?
:oops:
Perhaps Trader Joe forgot the joke icon.

OP, I'm sorry this happened to you. Being the victim of theft is emotionally unsettling, I know. I'm glad the British ladies were there.
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by gtd98765 »

Some information for other that I hope you would never need.
Thanks for the great follow-up and lessons learned.
bgreat
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by bgreat »

mptfan wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:06 am
Trader Joe wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:50 am I will avoid London/U.K. in the future. Best of luck.
That's your takeaway from this, to avoid the U.K.?
:oops:
I know many people who have been robbed in the US. And second hand stories of home invasions (which is the entire reason my former coworker learned to handle guns).

And to be fair, I do avoid the US if possible. But mainly for other reasons.

A generally good lesson however is: if someone wants your things, and is threatening violence: hand your things over. Things and money can be replaced, lives and health can't. I do however generally minimise the amount of cards/cash/devices I do carry when travelling. Old Nokia, single credit card, and 40 USD turn out to not be very attractive. And I don't care enough about them to bother resisting.
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Socrates
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Socrates »

I would assume the guy is just going to wipe it and sell it rather than commit mission impossible level financial crimes
LOL....^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^
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Orbuculum Nongata
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Orbuculum Nongata »

I’m confused. Is a thief in London better at cracking an iPhone than the police, fbi, etc? It seems like it takes a warrant and the cooperation of Apple to get the information off of anyone’s physical iPhone without a password. Or maybe there’s something about your stolen phone that I’ve overlooked (entirely possible). Either way I’m sorry your phone was stolen.
Potential - distraction = performance.
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Cycle »

you can lock / erase your phone from anywhere, with android anyways, via another device. you can also see where it is, but i'm guessing the person turned it off as soon as he got a chance. you didn't need to change any of your passwords, as presumably the phone automatically locked at some point.

this is yet another example of how bicycles are the most efficient way to get around in urban environments.

sorry, what a headache!
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by 3-20Characters »

Presintense wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 1:16 pm I’m confused. Is a thief in London better at cracking an iPhone than the police, fbi, etc? It seems like it takes a warrant and the cooperation of Apple to get the information off of anyone’s physical iPhone without a password. Or maybe there’s something about your stolen phone that I’ve overlooked (entirely possible). Either way I’m sorry your phone was stolen.
Probably criminals are not too bright or misinformed. iPhone reported stolen is useless except for parts (or if the thief can sell/scam an unsuspecting buyer.

https://www.quora.com/What-do-thieves-d ... en-iPhones

My only concern would be if the phone were unlocked (taken out victim’s hands and immediately thief started to try and change some accounts or something like that). Not too easy, even then. When you log into sites or make system level changes, your are asked for Face ID, thumb ID, or passcode.
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Theseus
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Theseus »

Trader Joe wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:50 am
I will avoid London/U.K. in the future. Best of luck.
Absolutely no reason to avoid London. I had a mental block for UK all this time and I feel I wasted time not visiting UK. London is a beautiful city and extremely helpful people everywhere for a metro city (irrespective of people helped me after the robbery). I lost a night agonizing over putting myself in the situation to be a victim. After that I started enjoying it again. I am still here for another day. Great theater scene (already been to four shows each around £40) - and much cheaper than USA. You can even see Hamilton for 1/3rd the price in USA. Absolutely amazing food !!

People say its expensive. But I find it on the par with New York. Or may be 10% more expensive than New York - but cleaner :).

London seems like NY, LA and DC combined in one city. I would actually encourage people to visit rather than avoid. What happened to me could have happened anywhere in the world.
Last edited by Theseus on Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
sabhen
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by sabhen »

Right now I am on a visit to London. Wonderful lively city. A lot to see and do. No reason to avoid it and make a sweeping generalization about safety overall.
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by fareastwarriors »

Avoid the world.
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by JackoC »

mudfud wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 9:52 am
JackoC wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am

Not trying to be contentious, just my factual question still isn't answered. I don't understand 'hashed and salted' either. I'm not trying to be contentious, just want somebody to explain explicitly with no assumptions I know stuff I might not know, how would my passwords be discovered by somebody who steals my phone when I don't store them on my phone?

As far as some other loophole that allows somebody with my cellphone number and email address to possibly get into my accounts *without* my PW's, I get that that's possible, maybe not so unlikely in some cases but pretty unlikely in the cases I'd really worry about. And there's no case where you have zero exposure. But again I'm stuck on passwords specifically. OP said they'd change *passwords* because phone was stolen. Why, specifically?
It depends on how accounts are set up, but many can be accessed on a phone without having to renter a password.
Again, as I mentioned I think twice so far, I was just wondering why OP was focused on *passwords*. I though there might be a simple reason I was missing. Lack of any responses really on point to my question leads me to think maybe there isn't a good reason. I still can't think of any reason I'd change *PASSWORDS* because my phone was stolen, not even 'abundance of caution. It just seems completely beside the point, would be for me anyway.

The stuff about getting into an account via email account and 'I forgot my password' functionality would seem a risk depending on the account and how it works, as again I already mentioned including right in the text you quoted. :happy Using the phone messaging function to 'two factor authenticate' a login with a password though would only work if the person has the password, which gets back to the original still unanswered question, why the person would be changing dozens of passwords (a logical reason, not 'just to do *something*') if their phone was stolen.
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by JackoC »

Theseus wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:22 pm
Trader Joe wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:50 am
I will avoid London/U.K. in the future. Best of luck.
Absolutely no reason to avoid London.

People say its expensive. But I find it on the part with New York. Or may be 10% more expensive than New York - but cleaner :).
London is my second favorite city behind my native NY. You do have to be aware though that petty crime is significantly more common in London than NY now. Some people stereotype or extrapolate from murder rates to think they can let their guard down in big European cities (not blaming you for being a victim of a crime let me be clear) but should be hyper vigilant in NY but it's actually the other way around nowadays, even London which is safer from petty thieves than some Continental cities. Whereas being murdered while just walking around even in US cities with murder rates a multiple of NY's is extremely unlikely, let alone in London.
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Theseus
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Re: Got mugged in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Theseus »

JackoC wrote: Tue Jul 16, 2019 9:21 am
mudfud wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 9:52 am
JackoC wrote: Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am

Not trying to be contentious, just my factual question still isn't answered. I don't understand 'hashed and salted' either. I'm not trying to be contentious, just want somebody to explain explicitly with no assumptions I know stuff I might not know, how would my passwords be discovered by somebody who steals my phone when I don't store them on my phone?

As far as some other loophole that allows somebody with my cellphone number and email address to possibly get into my accounts *without* my PW's, I get that that's possible, maybe not so unlikely in some cases but pretty unlikely in the cases I'd really worry about. And there's no case where you have zero exposure. But again I'm stuck on passwords specifically. OP said they'd change *passwords* because phone was stolen. Why, specifically?
It depends on how accounts are set up, but many can be accessed on a phone without having to renter a password.
Again, as I mentioned I think twice so far, I was just wondering why OP was focused on *passwords*. I though there might be a simple reason I was missing. Lack of any responses really on point to my question leads me to think maybe there isn't a good reason. I still can't think of any reason I'd change *PASSWORDS* because my phone was stolen, not even 'abundance of caution. It just seems completely beside the point, would be for me anyway.

The stuff about getting into an account via email account and 'I forgot my password' functionality would seem a risk depending on the account and how it works, as again I already mentioned including right in the text you quoted. :happy Using the phone messaging function to 'two factor authenticate' a login with a password though would only work if the person has the password, which gets back to the original still unanswered question, why the person would be changing dozens of passwords (a logical reason, not 'just to do *something*') if their phone was stolen.
OP here.

You have raised a good question - and I am glad you kept asking it. Changing passwords was my gut reaction in a panic when I lost the phone that is a gateway to all of my world at this point. It is easy to change financial accounts and email passwords as there are not many. But now thinking about the question you ask about 200+ other passwords, I realize that it is more about violation of my personal space than loss of anything financial.
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Starper »

Sorry it happened to you. Next time if you travel to a third world country you should be more careful.
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Re: Got robbed in London...Phone stolen...what else do I need to do?

Post by Broken Man 1999 »

Daughter and grand-daughter are currently in London, tomorrow they will travel to Paris.

My only concern for them earlier was the "yellow vest" demonstrations/riots/angry gatherings of people, but I think they have petered out.

They are staying with friends at each location, so they should be fine. The locals know where not to stray.

Broken Man 1999
“If I cannot drink Bourbon and smoke cigars in Heaven then I shall not go." - Mark Twain
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