Don’t Fall for the Latest Malicious Phishing Scam Attacking iPhone Users

Thieves are becoming trickier and more convincing every day in their attempt to steal your personal information – which could lead to credit card fraud, identity theft (or worse). And now it appears that a number of Apple users are being targeted specifically in a new email phishing scam, first brought to light by Bleeping Computer.

How Does This Apple Phishing Scam Work?

At the most basic level, a phishing scam is an attempt to gain your private information by pretending to be an entity that’s actually legitimate. This particular scam uses a replica of Apple’s App Store email template in an effort to earn your trust and eventually fall into their trap.

The scam works by alerting and attempting to convince an Apple user that they’ve (possibly mistakenly) ordered something from the App Store. The original email, shown below, has an attachment where the real scam artistry begins.

Inside of the attachment, the receiver will see a “Tax Invoice” for an In-App Purchase within the game “8 Ball Pool, Stash of Coins” for a whopping $30.99.

The supposed “Tax Invoice” states that if the end user has an issue with this transaction, that they can follow the link below for a full refund, which is not the case.

Those who’ve ignored (or failed to recognize) the tell-tale signs of a phishing scam will be asked to enter their Apple ID password and credentials. After a few failed attempts, “Apple” will “Lock” the user’s account.

A new screen will ask for sensitive information like full name, address and even the user’s social security number to “Unlock” the account. Do not give away this information.

It’s important to note that while this particular phishing scam is technically new, the tactics that the scammers used to deceive innocent people are certainly not new; and so there are documented ways to help protect yourself from a phishing scam like this in the future. Here are a few essential tips to help you avoid being phished.

Important Tips to Avoid Being Phished

1. Trust your instincts. Look for spelling errors and/or obviously incorrect information to serve as your first red flag.
2. Do not follow any of the links inside of the email. Just ignore the email or delete it altogether.
3. Head directly to Apple.com to check your account status for unsolicited charges. If there are none, you’re good to go.
4. Learn 5 Ways to Spot an ‘Apple’ Phishing Email So You Don’t Get Scammed.