They can’t wipe it if they can’t find it.
Sorry, but the tracking part of your phone is always on. Cannot be turned off by you. Your phone is constantly reporting your position.
Only way I know to defeat this is to block the phone's transmissions by putting the phone in a Faraday cage. A shiny mylar package used for potato chips will work. Test this: put you phone in a bag like that and call it. It won't answer because the cell network can't find it.
This is reason #16 why I do not have and prolly never will have a cell phone.
I have a very old non-smart phone.
It does have a camera but no GPS and can be turned off. It can also have the battery removed
I hate to be a Luddite but I refuse to be a slave to my technology
bfl