Apple is one of the top service providers in terms of entertainment, apps, and electronics. Due to Apple’s success as far as consumers go, it comes with susceptibility to fraud and scams. Apple is aware of this and offers support and advice to their consumers who experienced fraud from those phishing for personal and financial information. (Please reference their support site for tips on how to protect your Apple ID.) According to APWG Phishing Activity Trends Report*, it is stated that the number of phishing site as of the first quarter of 2020 was up 165,772.
A tale-tale indication of a phishing attempt occurring, for example, could be a link from Apple stating that your ‘payment was declined,’ and a ‘new payment method needs to be inputted.’ When clicking the link, the culprit of the Apple scam being used will lead you to another webpage that replicates Apple’s payment page. This is where the consumer will fill in the payment method which then will complete the phishing attempt successfully.
Now, let’s talk about how the scam works, what to look for, and how to avoid it.
How the scam works:
The scammers will send you a link to your email or cell phone, making it appear to be from Apple. The message will have something to do with your payment being declined and the need for new payment information being input. Don’t do it!
What to look for:
The link may look like its from Apple, but when you click on the sender, the email will show that it is totally a bogus email/sender.
How to avoid it:
NEVER CLICK LINKS on your text message. Go to your browser, type in the website, login, and see if there are any notifications in your account. Don’t click a link, even if you subscribe to it. It may sound like we are being overly careful, but in 2021, you simply cannot be too careful when it comes to clicking links sent to you.
These attempts are not always by email! It can also happen in your Facebook Messenger, SMS, and even via a phone call. It’s always good to report these occurrences. You also can report suspicious text or email to reportphising@apple.com.
At Kay and Associates Investigations we help clients:
- find the cyber criminals so that they can be brought to justice
- create a plan of counter-attack on cyber criminals
- protect their identity for the future
- in aiding their legal teams who are prosecuting the online perpetrators
- track down and recover stolen funds
If you have been a victim of a phishing scam or identity theft, you can contact us at Kay and Associates Investigations where we can help you find the culprit, sometimes regain lost funds, and help you protect your identity and online safety in the future.
info@kayandassociates.com
Call us today.
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