Apple has designed this to curb theft and has done a fine job. To remove it you must get your bill of sale and more then deal with Apple.
That said, there are plenty of scammers willing to take your money.
The only time I see folk not head to Apple is when it's hot or stolen.
I bought an iPhone 5 from a guy who neglected to remove his iCloud account and I can no longer reach him. I've spent hours looking at all the iCloud unlock methods online. I've been unsuccessful. Anyone else with similar experiences? Does anything really work?

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