Apple is one of the largest and most popular smartphone manufacturers in the world. Unfortunately, this also makes users of Apple devices a popular target for scammers. TECHBOOK lists the current scams to beware of.
Those who own an iPhone, MacBook, iPad or other Apple devices enjoy a lot of advantages, but should also beware of some scams. Above all, phishing is a popular method used by scammers. With phishing, an attempt is made to access data from those affected via fake messages, websites, etc. These current scams are specifically targeting Apple users.
Alleged iCloud campaign via phishing email
iPhone owners also use Apple services such as iCloud mostly automatically. You can store your photos, passwords or any amount of other data online there. In case of doubt, nothing gets lost, you can also access the data across devices and moving from one smartphone to another is really easy. In fact, iCloud service is automatically built into every Apple device. And since many use cloud storage for this reason, new scams are constantly being aimed at users.
The consumer advice center is currently warning of an alleged action on behalf of iCloud, about which users will be informed by email. The subject is often “Your iCloud storage is full”. The perfidious thing about it is that Apple often sends e-mails with this or a similar subject line itself. Because the 5 GB of storage that you get for free via iCloud is usually filled up quickly.
The message mentions an alleged loyalty program. As part of this, it is possible to get an additional 50 GB of storage for free. All you have to do is follow the attached link. In order to set an additional click incentive, the scammers also threaten to delete the data stored in iCloud storage. Anyone who follows the link ends up on a fake website that asks for Apple login data and credit card information.
LKA warns of fraud with Apple Pay
In fact, bank customers are also popular victims of phishing scams. The LKA warns of a process in which the approaches are combined to a certain extent. The potential victims receive an email that appears to be from their financial institution. In fact, there are always new forms of scams in which mail appears to come from Netflix or another streaming service. This then redirects to a fake version of the bank’s website.
There the users should enter their personal data. A day later there is another call. At the other end of the line, fraudsters pretend to be bank employees and request a push TAN, which the victims receive during the conversation. With this sequence of numbers, the fraudsters can then use the victim’s credit card via Apple Pay.
What is particularly mean about the scam is that the call makes it appear comparatively serious. Here too, as with comparable procedures, you should never click on links in e-mails in the first step.
Apple ID verification is a scam
Phishing messages that are specifically aimed at the Apple ID are also circulating again and again. Emails with the subject “Your Apple ID service is being verified” are attempted scams. Apparently there was an illegal login attempt. Now you have to act quickly and verify your data accordingly. Otherwise you can no longer use the Apple services – but this is once again fraud.
This can be recognized, among other things, by the unprofessional presentation of the mail. But it is also typical for comparable meshes that great pressure is exerted on the recipient. The threat of an account suspension should not be taken seriously in this case. Put the message in the spam folder and report it if necessary.
Apple scam? How to protect yourself from phishing
As a general rule, you should never just click on links that are sent to you unsolicited. Far too often, this is a so-called phishing scam, which scammers use to target certain user data.
When in doubt, you should always check the sender of such e-mails. It is often clear from the message itself or if you go over the link (don’t click on it!) that the source is not necessarily reliable. In the case of an alleged campaign, you can also simply research whether the campaign actually exists by googling or by asking Apple directly.
If an email actually turns out to be a scam, it is also extremely helpful to report the message accordingly. This can often be done directly via the email provider. In addition, you can also report this to contact points such as the consumer advice center or our editorial team at [email protected] and thus draw the attention of other potential victims to it.