Verizon sent man a refurbished phone with MDM, then deleted his data remotely
Summary
Verizon sent a customer a refurbished phone that still had a remote management system, allowing Verizon to control and erase the phone's data without the customer’s consent. The phone was a store demo unit that was not properly wiped before being sent, and Verizon is investigating how this happened but has not shared detailed answers.Key Facts
- Verizon sent Tom Collery a refurbished Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 with a Mobile Device Management (MDM) profile still active.
- The MDM software allowed Verizon to remotely erase all data on the phone after Collery used it for a few weeks.
- The phone was originally a store demo unit that was not wiped properly before being sent to the customer.
- Verizon is conducting an internal investigation but has not explained how the error occurred or fully responded to questions.
- Collery, a Verizon customer for 22 years, received a $400 credit and a different refurbished phone without MDM.
- Verizon let Collery keep the phone with MDM as evidence and did not charge him for it.
- Security experts worry this case reveals possible problems in how Verizon wipes data from refurbished phones before resale.
- The incident raises broader concerns about customer data protection on refurbished devices from carriers.
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