Urgent warning to iPhone users over 'high alert' scam stealing lifesavings: Delete NOW
A Pennsylvania woman who was scammed out of thousands of dollars has issued a warning to iPhone users in hopes of saving them from the devastating scheme. Lancaster County resident Barbara, who requested her last name not be used, lost $24,000 after receiving a text message that read 'Apple high alert,' she told local NBC affiliate WGAL.The message claimed money had been removed from her bank account, prompting her to call a specific number if she did not move the money herself.When Barbara called the number, a man said her account had been compromised, and hackers could access her funds, urging her to send her money to a protected bank - and she did exactly that. Following the scammer's instructions, Barbara went to her bank, withdrew the money and transferred it to the account she had been given. Apple has warned users about this type of scheme, known as social engineering, which is a targeted attack that relies on impersonation, deception, and manipulation to gain access to your personal data.In this attack, scammers will pretend to be representatives of a trusted company or entity over the phone or through other communication methods. They will often use sophisticated tactics to persuade you to hand over personal details such as sign-in credentials, security codes and financial information. A Pennsylvania woman who was scammed out of thousands of dollars has issued a warning to iPhone users in hopes of saving them from the devastating scheme (stock) Detective Jonathan Martin of the Manheim Township Police Department said: 'This woman's money went into a fraudulently created bank account that was made online.'She wired $20,000 to it. And within two hours, the money was wired to a bank account in China.' Detective Martin told WGAL that this type of scam is becoming increasingly common, with multiple cases reported each week. 'I'd say multiple times a week, we receive a case where someone has fallen for the "Someone is taking your money. We need to protect it for you,"' Martin said.After losing a total of $24,000, Barbara is now warning other iPhone users to think twice before responding to alarming text messages demanding immediate action.'If this would help somebody else, as soon as they say wire money, don’t do it,' she said. A similar scam was spotted last month, but this hack uses emails claiming users' iCloud storage is full.The emails tell victims that they must upgrade their accounts to avoid losing photos, videos and access to certain apps.Read More The unassuming apps all cheaters use to hide their affairs: Where to look on your partner's phone to see exactly what they are up to... and the subtle red flags to never ignore Messages also include a button to enable the upgrade, but The Guardian reported that this takes users to a malicious website designed to steal sensitive information.If users provide their bank details or make a payment, scammers can use the information to steal additional funds or sell the data to other criminals on the dark web.Some emails posted by victims appeared more threatening, warning them that their iCloud account would be closed within 48 hours if they did not act immediately.'Every Apple user needs to know about this nasty scam doing the rounds,' Which?, the UK's largest independent consumer organization, shared on Facebook.'These sneaky fake emails that look like they're from iCloud and threaten you with claims that 'all your photos will be deleted.'The US Federal Trade Commission has also issued a warning about the scam, warning users to contact Apple if they receive one of these emails rather than clicking any links that are likely to take users to fraudulent websites.One victim shared their experience on Reddit, showing their inbox packed with emails with the subject 'Your iCloud storage is full' and text saying: 'Your iCloud storage is full. You have exceeded your storage plan, and this means that your documents, contacts and device data are no longer being backed up to iCloud.'Your photos and videos are also not being uploaded to iCloud Photos. iCloud Drive and iCloud-enabled apps are not being updated across your device.'The message also includes a button to upgrade to a larger iCloud plan and, to make it appear even more official, it is signed by 'The iCloud Team.'One glaring red flag in this message is the email address, as it was sent from 'noreply@email.apple.com.'Common legitimate addresses from the tech giant include no_reply@email.apple.com, noreply@apple.com and noreply@insideicloud.icloud.com.
