Apple owners, be warned. A new phishing scam is doing the rounds by way of a text message that says 'Your Apple ID has expired.'
The text provides a link which is actually a ploy by the scammers to trick you into providing your confidential information details.
The dodgy link that, scarily, looks like an original Apple link, comes with the text that says "[Name] Your Apple ID is due to be expire today. Prevent this by confirming your Apple ID at [link] - Apple Inc." Evidently, the cyber criminals have chosen their words carefully, adding an element of urgency to the tone, to get as many users to tap the link immediately.
The link takes the unsuspecting customers straight to a space that looks like an Apple page but is completely fake. There, the mandatory fields prompt the users to give away their iCloud usernames and passwords, along with other private details like address, credit card details, and even passport information. "They could use those details to commit fraud, or sell your credentials on to other crooks on the computer underground," said Graham Cluley who's a British computer security expert. "That's obviously even worse news if you have made the mistake of reusing your passwords across the net," he added.
Apple, not for the first time, has rolled out warnings to prevent its customers from falling into the trap. So if you see any suspicious-looking link in your inbox, and not necessarily from Apple, do not click. Instead, visit the original company website and verify if the call-to-action alert is indeed true. It is always wiser to walk that extra step of caution than willingly hand over your confidential information to hackers and scammers.
If you've already made the fatal mistake of clicking on the bogus text link, visit this Apple page immediately to reset your iCloud password.
Photo: John Karakatsanis | Flickr
