First, I’ll apologize for the non-flashlight post, but I got a bit alarmed this morning.
Right off, when I opened my iPad, I got a message box saying “Your Apple ID and telephone number have been used for messaging and FaceTime on a new phone” or words to that effect.
My (Apple) laptop flashed the same message upon opening.
I did not get a new phone, and never use FaceTime - but I did activate a new Mastercard yesterday, and I did place an online order with Walmart.
I’d change my Apple ID, but that appears to require a new Email address to accomplish; I’ve used this one for 30 years, I’d hate to change.
You really need to log in to your apple ID and change your password and make sure you have the MFA set up correctly. Hopefully it is just a fluke or a family member and an innocent thing. Could be that you have already lost control of your apple ID and that is a whole different thing. Without delay sign in to your apple ID from your computer and change your password! Look at the devices and see what is associated with your account.
As previously suggested change your password immediately and check what devices are associated with your account, and log out any you don’t recognize. This article has appropriate links:
Also, passwords should be strong. Most password change screens help now telling you if your password is weak, good, strong, very strong. And never write down your password on a piece of paper tucked in your wallet that could fall out by accident.
But it is also a good idea to note your password down on paper kept in a safe place. The idea being that if you’re incapacitated for some reason, a family member can manage things for you.
Many people say a password manager is best for doing this. They could be right. I use an old xcel format encrypted spreadsheet with a password that I have memorized. Have a copy on my phone and of course the computer and its backups. Roughly 100 passwords available to me and not controlled by someone else in the cloud. I see it as a simple efficient and secure way to manage passwords. Certainly seems much better than what many people do. I do not use the same password in more than one place so unless that particular spreadsheet were to be first discovered and then hacked I think I am reasonably safe
Most passwords are acquired by data breach, so it doesn’t matter how “strong” it is. It matters that you change it once in a while, and/or 2 step authentication