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Beware of This 'Find My iPhone' Parking Lot Scam

A social media user shares his experience to warn others to remain vigilant should they encounter a similar situation.
PUBLISHED APR 18, 2024
Cover Image Source: @haveagreatpositiveday | TikTok
Cover Image Source: @haveagreatpositiveday | TikTok

TikTok user @haveagreatpositiveday is warning against an iPhone scam he recently encountered, perpetrated by two women. He's sharing his experience as a public service announcement to warn others to remain vigilant should they encounter a similar situation.

Image Source: @haveagreatpositiveday | TikTok
Image Source: @haveagreatpositiveday | TikTok

Continuing the video, he advises viewers to research other instances of this scam online to better understand its variations and tactics used by con artists. Recounting his experience, he explains that he was heading to the gym and parked at a local grocery store, where he decided to browse for furniture deals online due to his side hustle of reselling furniture.

Maintaining his caution, he shares how he overheard a commotion as individuals approached his car, recognizing their questionable intentions. "Excuse me you have my iPhone," the woman said to him. Despite a woman's claim that he had her iPhone, he remained skeptical, knowing that the "Find My iPhone" feature couldn't pinpoint a specific person in a specific car.

"So she's screaming and she says can you roll down your window all the way and I'm like we're not playing that game. So I proceed to leave the parking lot. Just backed up...go scam somebody else," he explained.

As the woman demanded he roll down his window, he chose to exit the situation, refusing to engage further. "They follow me and so I'm like okay...they're really on this. This is what happens when scammers, you know are not getting their way when the robbery doesn't go correctly."

Image Source:  haveagreatpositiveday | TikTok
Image Source: @haveagreatpositiveday | TikTok

"It's in your car, it's around you, or they'll trap it slip it under your car but I was in my car so I didn't see them doing any of that. So they just got close enough to say they can show me and then they were either gonna proceed to rob me with somebody else or do whatever they had to do," he said.

He went on to say, "I'm making this video for you to be aware, pay attention to your surroundings at all times, and if someone comes up to you and says they lost their iPhone it's in your car, number one just tell them to call the police cause that's their job to go look for it, right? It's not your job to go help them look for it and number two don't get caught up."

Image Source: haveagreatpositiveday | TikTok
Image Source: @haveagreatpositiveday | TikTok

"I've told this story to many people, and some say they would've helped, thinking they're being nice. But you could end up getting robbed. So be careful out there and don't fall for this scam."

Many viewers on TikTok thanked him for the warning, agreeing that he handled the situation well. "I would have driven to the police station," commented a user. "I would have pulled off as soon as they would try to approach me, no opportunity for conversation," wrote another user. "That would have been their last scam," another user chimed in.

For more such content, you can follow @haveagreatpositiveday on TikTok.

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