Website Name
lockedtoowner.com (Locked to Owner)
Website Type
Apple iCloud unlocking serivce
Is Lockedtoowner Fake or Real?
Fake
Why is Lockedtoowner Fake?
*Update* 24 hours after exposing LockedToOwner as a scam, I received the below threatening email from a scammer. They are identified as ‘Cobalt Hawk Network’ and the email ID is CobaltHawk@protonmail.ch. Would a legitimate company send me a threat? Let me know what you think in the comments.
*Original article*
Lockedtoowner claims to be a website that provides an iCloud unlocking service for Apple devices including iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches. When I tested the website using a fake IMEI number, it led me to a spam page that wanted me to subscribe to a Youtube channel and then ask 10 others to subscribe. It is quite clear that Lockedtoowner is not genuinely providing an unlocking service.
A domain name lookup of the website shows that it was registered on 27th January 2022. The registrant’s details such as name, location and contact details have been hidden using a privacy service. Therefore, it is a new website that is being operated anonymously.
The overall quality of the website is extremely poor and it contains false information. For example, the Terms of Service page states the following:
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE
1.1 DalPay Retail is the reseller of services supplied by [L2O Media (AS)]. dalpay.is +1877-8657746 will display on your card statement.
Firstly, this makes no sense because DalPay Retail is an e-commerce solutions provider and not a reseller of services. I found that there are at least 8 other websites making similar dubious claims and may be related to Lockedtoowner. The list of sites is given at the end of the article.
Secondly, DalPay Retail’s terms clearly state that they do not permit the sale of service that circumvent security features, which is exactly what Lockedtoowner claims to do. I also did not find any evidence of the company L2O Media (AS) being real.
Lockedtoowner has nearly 250 reviews on Trustpilot, with most of them being 5-star reviews. This is highly suspicious as the website started operating less than six months back and hints that Lockedtoowner may be paying for fake positive reviews. Lockedtoowner has claimed the Trustpilot page but no company verification documents have been provided, once again suggesting that L2O Media (AS) may not be a real company.
Filtering to view only the 1-star reviews reveals the real scam. Several users have echoed the same complaint over and over. Their card details were stolen and they were charged $1 for a ‘trial’ subscription that automatically turns into a recurring monthly charge.
Lockedtoowner does not have any social media presence. The contact details given on the website include an email ID ‘hello@LockedToOwner.com’ and a Norweigian address. I found that the address is fake as it points to a residence and not an office building. The site also claims that they have a phone number that can be revealed by logging in, however, this is false as the website does not have a login feature at all.
Conclusion
It seems quite obvious that Lockedtoowner is a scam. Lockedtoowner is a new website being operated anonymously since February 2022. The website is poorly made and contains false information, such as the company address. There is no evidence that the company L2O Media (AS) actually exists either and the company’s unlocking service is quite obviously fake.
Trustpilot reviews are overwhelmingly positive but the large number of reviews posted in a short span suggest that the reviews have been purchased. Lockedtoowner misleads users that its services are sold by DalPay Retail, even though DalPay’s terms prohibit the sale of device unlocking services.
Lockedtoowner exists to spread spam and trap people in subscriptions. After entering card details on Lockedtoowner’s website, users have reported that $1 was deducted and subsequently there were unauthorized subscription fees being charged.
It is advisable to avoid using Lockedtoowner to unlock your Apple device, as the website will force you to spam others and your card details will be used to sign you up for unwanted subscriptions.
How to Get Your Money Back from a Scam
Remember: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
To read about other Misc. Scams, click here.
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If you have been the victim of a subscription scam, you can take the following steps:
- Contact your bank and block the card to prevent recurring charges
- Lodge a cybercrime complaint online or with the local police office
- Leave a negative review on review portals such as Scamadviser, TrustPilot, OnlineThreatAlerts and SiteJabber
- Give a low rating to the website on Web of Trust. You can also install their extension for the same
- Report the scam site to web filtering companies
List of websites related to Lockedtoowner
- backyard.is
- educationinasuitcase.com
- hotspot.rent
- icelandicguides.is
- idcloak.com
- iunlock.app
- jibby.com
- unlockmaker.com
Disclaimer: This review is intended for information only and should not be relied on when making financial or business decisions. If you are a website owner and would like to provide clarifications regarding your business and/or website, please get in touch using the Contact Form.