Woman finds stranger's photos & messages on her 'new' iPhone

CONROE, Texas (FOX 26) - A woman who purchased an iPhone from a Walmart in Conroe asked that FOX 26 News not show her face or say her name. She says she purchased a new Apple iPhone on Thursday night, but when the clerk unwrapped it to activate it, he discovered it wasn’t new.

In an interview with FOX 26, she says she was told to return on Friday to get another new iPhone. She adds that everything looked new to her and she paid more than $500 for the smartphone. But after the phone was activated, she got quite a surprise. Her new phone wasn’t new at all.

The woman found pictures of people that she didn’t know, some of which dated back to 2013. There were even voicemail messages meant for someone else.

“I’m very devastated what I heard on this voicemail,” the woman said. One of the voicemail messages contained  personal medical information. The previous owner of the iPhone apparently got a message from her doctor telling her that she had tested positive for a medical condition.

By calling numbers on the contact list, FOX 26 learned the photos and messages belonged to another Conroe resident who had lost her phone.

“I’m upset with Walmart, I’m upset with Apple,” the woman who bought the phone said. “These people selling me a used phone, very upset.”

FOX 26 accompanied the woman when she returned to Walmart store where an assistant manager assured her that the store does not sell refurbished phones. The Walmart manager told FOX 26 and the woman that this was extremely unusual and seemed surprised that the phone wasn’t new.

Walmart offered to give the woman another phone, though she’s deciding her next move.