Police investigate claim that Florida teen was spied on through hacked iPhone

More victims possible

DUNNELLON, Fla. – From social media to bank account information, for many of us, our entire lives are on our cellphones. 

That's what was so scary for Lisa Simmons after her daughter's cellphone was hacked

Her daughter first alerted her on March 5. 

A few days later, she contacted police, but felt she was getting the run around when it came to getting help.

"She was getting notifications of screen shotting, screen recording, from Snapchat," Simmons said.

Dunnellon Police Chief Mike McQuaig and his wife personally visited Simmons Wednesday night to talk about the case and her concerns. 

She said it's not just a breach of technology, but an invasion of privacy. 

"They are handling the issue. They are investigating further. The cellphone has been dumped. They are onto some leads and they are fully investigating this situation," Simmons said. 

She doesn't know the person who hacked into her daughter's phone nor has her daughter ever had her phone repaired or shared her Apple ID. 

IT expert Carlos Perez said that's what would generally be needed to hack into someone's phone. 

"Unless you have the Apple ID or the unlocked code you will not be able to gain access on the device," Perez said. 

However, if someone has that information at their fingertips, it can get scary. 

"You can even create a full exact copy of the phone if you are able to get access to the Apple ID," Perez said. 

McQuaig will speak with Ocala police officers Friday to further discuss the investigation and find out if it reaches outside Dunnellon's jurisdiction. 

McQuaig said he knows of at least two more potential victims and is in the process of speaking with them. 

"I don't know how it was done. I don't care how it was done. It was done to my daughter and you kind of enacted mama bear," Simmons said. 

Simmons has also been in contact with an Apple representative. She was told the company is working to find answers as well, so as not to see this happen again. 


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