How to Determine if the Used iPhone You Bought Is Stolen
Fortunately, Apple has released a new Activation Lock Status checker on iCloud.com for used buyers. All you have to do is enter the phone's serial or IMEI numbers (which can be found under the about tab in iPhones' general settings) into this form:
Enter phone's serial number, which opens this screen:
If you enter the information of a device with Activation Lock on, the tool will tell you to contact the previous owner — if you know the legitimate owner — and it provides instructions for owners on how to clear a phone for reuse. This lock feature was first introduced with iOS 7. Activation Lock automatically turns on when you use the Find My iPhone feature, which allows you to pinpoint the location of an iOS device remotely.
Note that the iCloud tool doesn't seem to be compatible with mobile Safari, so be sure to have another means to access the Activation Lock Status tool if you're meeting someone to pick up the iOS device. Otherwise, the tool is a useful way to make sure you aren't buying a useless Apple product. This information is provided to you by Rex Santus through Mashable.com.
