Some Galaxy S22 Ultra phones are getting hijacked by Samsung's own security system
Owners are finding their personal phones claimed by a mystery company.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. | Image by PhoneArena
If you own a Galaxy S22 Ultra and you've been contemplating doing a factory reset, you might want to hold off. A new report has surfaced detailing a bizarre situation where some S22 Ultra owners are getting completely locked out of their phones after a reset, and the culprit is a mysterious company nobody seems to have heard of.
Here's what's happening: after a factory reset, some Galaxy S22 Ultra owners connect to Wi-Fi to begin the normal Android setup. But before they can sign into their Google account, Samsung's Knox Mobile Enrollment system kicks in with a message stating "This Galaxy S22 Ultra isn't private."
The phone claims it's managed by an organization called "Numero LLC," complete with an admin app branded "FRP UNLOCK SAMSUNG." These are personal phones bought through regular retail channels, with zero connection to any company.
The lockout happens at the IMEI level, which is basically your phone's unique identity number. Samsung's servers have flagged these devices as "claimed" by Numero LLC, so doing another factory reset or even flashing new firmware won't help. The lock comes back every time the phone pings Samsung's servers during setup.
Knox Mobile Enrollment is a tool Samsung built for businesses, so IT departments can automatically set up company phones. It is basically a digital leash for corporate devices, and somehow, that leash is being attached to phones it has no business touching.
Nobody has confirmed exactly what happened, but a few theories are circulating. One possibility is that a reseller account with access to Samsung's Knox portal was compromised, allowing someone to register random consumer phone IDs under this unknown company.
A reset that locks you out of your own phone
Here's what's happening: after a factory reset, some Galaxy S22 Ultra owners connect to Wi-Fi to begin the normal Android setup. But before they can sign into their Google account, Samsung's Knox Mobile Enrollment system kicks in with a message stating "This Galaxy S22 Ultra isn't private."
This situation is escalating quite rapidly, where on Reddit one affected Galaxy S22 owner has provided more details on the situation.
Why another reset won't save you
A Galaxy S22 device locked down to an unknown owner. | Images by TheLastRedditAcct (Reddit)
The lockout happens at the IMEI level, which is basically your phone's unique identity number. Samsung's servers have flagged these devices as "claimed" by Numero LLC, so doing another factory reset or even flashing new firmware won't help. The lock comes back every time the phone pings Samsung's servers during setup.
What could be behind the hijack
Nobody has confirmed exactly what happened, but a few theories are circulating. One possibility is that a reseller account with access to Samsung's Knox portal was compromised, allowing someone to register random consumer phone IDs under this unknown company.
Another theory points to third-party unlocking services, since the "FRP Unlock" branding suggests a connection to shady outfits that harvest phone identity numbers.
If this happens to you, the only official path is contacting Samsung Support with your original proof of purchase and requesting an "IMEI unenrollment." Fair warning: users report a frustrating loop where Samsung's general team sends them to Knox support, who say they can't fix it, and bounces them right back.
This isn't the first rough stretch for the S22 series. The phone already dealt with a One UI 6.1.1 update that bricked devices for some owners. Samsung hasn't commented on this new issue yet, but if you have an S22 Ultra, hold off on that factory reset and keep your proof of purchase handy.
If your phone got digitally bricked tomorrow, what would you do?
A familiar headache for Galaxy S22 owners
If this happens to you, the only official path is contacting Samsung Support with your original proof of purchase and requesting an "IMEI unenrollment." Fair warning: users report a frustrating loop where Samsung's general team sends them to Knox support, who say they can't fix it, and bounces them right back.
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