- This topic has 77 replies, 47 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 2 months ago by
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KHi,
Someone stole my iPhone 15 Pro in the Delhi Metro in November 2024. It somehow ended up in Dhaka (I have no idea how). I can still track its location using
“Find My.”Out of the blue, I received a WhatsApp call today from a Bangladeshi number (+880). The caller said he had bought my phone from someone and would like to return it to me. I confirmed it was indeed my phone via a video call.
He asked if I could come to Dhaka to collect the phone, which is not possible for me.
I would like some advice on what options I have. He mentioned he could courier it back to me, and I’m okay with bearing the shipping costs.
Will I have to pay customs on this order? If yes, how can I avoid it?
Other concerns:
1. What are the reliable courier services I can use to get my phone shipped from Dhaka to India?
2. Should I trust this person?
3. What if he sends something illegal in the package, and I end up facing the consequences?
4. What if the phone’s hardware has been replaced?
5. What if the phone has been jailbroken?I’d really appreciate your input on this.
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Vcustoms – yes
all your questions are valid!
who is this person, what he does?
will he give phone for free ?
is your data still there on phone ?
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KDo you have any idea how much the charges customs would be?
Is he giving it for free? I don’t know, honestly. I can send him up to 5k if I receive the phone in mint condition.
Data on the phone? I don’t think so. He’d have to factory reset it and then bypass the activation lock, so I doubt the data is still there. Plus, he showed me on a video call that he couldn’t do anything with it.
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Vconsidering iphone – customs will be high!
your iphone is locked to icloud so he can not do anything on it.
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ANo, if it’s a used personal phone, no customs will be charged. It may get detained but just clarifying and showing sufficient proof that the phone is your personal one will be enough for the customs department to let it go.
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PWhy would someone purchase it and then return it at a loss?
It is most likely a scam to get money from you as they cannot do anything with a locked iPhone.
So whatever you do, don’t pay anything upfront.
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KI won’t be paying anything upfront. If he sends it, great; if not, I’ve already forgotten about it.
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RMy friend paid 1500 extra for the same scam. The guy gave a courier slip and then asked for payment. As soon as payment was received, everyone stopped replying. I even got to know why they ask for that amount. If a phone is locked, to erase and unblock the phone, it costs 1000 but without any paperwork, people would do it for 1500
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SOP is gonna send the guy money for shipping cost. Once he sends a small money- there are gonna be other problems at custom n he’s gonna receive calls for some grease money to release the money.
N once OP has paid some money, the sunk cost fallacy is gonna set in and he will think since he has already paid some already what’s the problem to pay a little more to get back his phone. By the time the package reaches his location, he would have half of the value or more.
N then he will wait for the package to come and keep waiting forever 😆
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BYeah. Makes sense.
But if OP takes a legit courier company like FedEx UPS all these will be cleared the moment it’s picked up. As they will clear customs.
But yeah else OPs a milk cow.
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ROp check this out – https://www.reddit.com/r/IsThisAScamIndia/s/l78GzXNG6N
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QNAL…
OP customs duty for phones is basic customs duty of 15%, a 1.5% surcharge, and an 18% GST on the total value of the phone.
You can use DHL or FedEx, they will pick the phone for you and also offer packing service, so any hanky panky business can be avoided, but you will have to request this of them.
Get the address from that person and you can arrange the courier.
What’s surprising is how did he get your number.
Don’t pay any money to this person, its definitely seems like a scam
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KSo basically if you type “iCloud.com/shortcuts” in the email field of activation lock window. You can select this text and click on open link. It will open the shortcuts app.
There he created a shortcut to toggle the Mobile Sim. I had eSIM, so even though the sim is disabled he was able to see my number.
Most of the things are limited in terms of what you can do from the shortcuts app while on the activation lock. But yeah…
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ESounds like a scam. Transporting a phone is complicated way too much paperwork.
At max you can arrange a pickup by DHL or UPS not sure if they work in Bangladesh. That way the collection agents fill up the form etc.
Btw this is a common scam, happened to me aswell. Lost my phone then these people wanted me to come to a ghetto kind of place to collect , saying we found it in a bus. Since I speak Bengali I understood they are Bangladeshis.
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KI’m leaning towards letting it go. It’s too much of a hassle, and even if I book a courier through DHL or UPS, it costs around €70—about ₹7,000—just for shipping. And that’s when I’m not even sure about his intentions, whether he’s given me the correct address or will actually return the phone.
Additionally, as someone mentioned, there will be a high customs fee as well.
So yeah, let it be…
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KUpdate: it’s mostly a scam. He video called me and someone was there from the courier service and the courier company told him that they can not parcel the phone if it is locked because it could be illegal to ship stolen items.
He asked me to give him send him Apple ID and password to remove the activation lock so that he can courier it.
Lmao, is he f kidding me. Haha, I won’t be give him anything. Bhejna ho bheje, na Bhejna ho na bheje ✨
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KI marked it as lost in “Find My” and also lodged an FIR but you know how these things work. I don’t think they would have locked the IMEI.
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DDon’t give key to unlock. Be careful about that. He is being helpful, then will ask for key to unlock phone.
He will take your money and phone. -
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LDon’t go. There could be a bigger scam awaiting. Let it go. The iPhone is gone. There is a chance you may get kidnapped if you go
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SBetter yet, ask him to wire you money so that you can reset the phone online. The phone is anyway now a brick and its not worth the hassle to get it pass customs
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MPlease remember that as long as the phone is registered in iCloud no one except you can use it.
For other party it’s as good as bricked phone.
Under any circumstance do not remove the phone from iCloud
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RCustom charges would be around 1200rs for Delhi.
Now, It’s a very common scam. I suggest you do these things,
Tell him to your known works as a clerk at Embassy of India at Dhaka. And he’s ready to takeover the phone and save you courier charges.
If he’s real he will do it, or else if he starts making excuses. He’s a scammer.
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KSo basically if you type “iCloud.com/shortcuts” in the email field of activation lock window. You can select this text and click on open link. It will open the shortcuts app.
There he created a shortcut to toggle the Mobile Sim. I had eSIM, so even though the sim is disabled he was able to see my number.
Most of the things are limited in terms of what you can do from the shortcuts app while on the activation lock. But yeah…
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LJust curious from this case, can we make stolen phones unusable by blocking through Apple? Or even after blocking IMEI can someone still reset phone and use it?
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CIf the phone is registered in iCloud, no one can unlock it except you, it’s basically useless for them unless they sell it for parts, but even then the motherboard of phone will also be locked lol
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SJust ask him to keep the phone and enjoy! There are no free lunches in this world, bud. They are trying to rob you again. Might ask for your UPI pin etc. And how do you know if the phone wasn’t used in some illegal activity before being returned to you? Also, he would ask for courier cost and all that beforehand.
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ADon’t share the invoice of your phone purchase, it can be used to unlock the iCloud application lock by submitting to apple support online, claiming they are the original purchaser of the phone.
Regarding customs, I can assure you no customs duties will be charged if its clearly mentioned that it is personal goods.
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KYeah, I’m aware of the bypassing the application lock from Apple support using the invoice.
But thank you for this information on the personal goods. Do you have a firsthand experience of receiving a parcel marked as personal goods?
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BDon’t fall for it and don’t pay. My phone was also stolen in Mumbai and after a few months I got a call from a guy who said he found an unidentified phone in train at Bandra terminus and now he is with the phone in Assam. He was asking me to pay courier charges so that he will send the phone to my home address. Next day my dad enquired with Police about it and they said my phone’s last location is MP and not Assam. Police said it’s a scam, don’t fall for it as they are unable to open your phone and sell it.
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KI was boarding metro on a weekday around 6pm (heavily crowded) and had luggage (a trolley bag) too. Someone picked it off my pocket. I believe it was either stolen on the escalator or while boarding the metro.
As soon as i entered the metro, I put my hand in the pocket and bam! The phone wasn’t there.When I reached police station they told me ~10 phone got stolen in the last 2 hours. What a shitshow!
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