Bought this phone from a third-party in March 2023. I received this message a month later.
This device is disabled because it was reported as lost, stolen, or has an outstanding balance due to failure to meet trade-in terms. If purchased from Samsung.com check the email used at the time of purchase for an email sent by Samsung for the next steps. If didn't purchase this device from Samsung.com, please return the device to the place of purchase.
I checked that it wasn't stolen and it isn't. i think it may be from the trade-in issue.
I would never buy a phone off of Facebook marketplace or any other person to person marketplace website. To this day people are still failing to pay their own bills and then they turn around and try to sell the phone and you're left with a brick...
Most if not all companies will only unlock the phone if the original account holder pays the phone off, no exceptions. They don't have the time of day to go around proving if you're not a friend of the person you bought it from or just pretending to be someone else.
To me that story doesn't seems to be correct. I believe all 3rd party sellers should be able to help you to get rid of that message about phone being stolen from someone. I would ask him if he wants me to return that phone to seller, if he decline that then I would be going on PayPal if it's paid by PayPal or credit card I would just contact them and dispute that transaction.
