Text message phishing scam targeting iPhone users

A NEW scam targeting iPhone users is making the rounds, with victims being tricked into sharing personal details with cyber criminals.

Be careful if you get text messages claiming to be from Apple.

A NEW scam targeting iPhone users is making the rounds, with victims being tricked into sharing personal details with cyber criminals.

The phishing scam comes in the form of a text message pretending to be from Apple and warns customers their Apple ID is about to expire.

Anyone else received one of these Apple ID texts? Is it all above board or is it some kind of phishing scam? pic.twitter.com/KUfMZtggUF

— Dave Vitty (@davidvitty) April 16, 2016

Unsuspecting victims are then asked to click on a link to confirm their login details so their account will not be cancelled.

Clicking the link will redirect users to a convincing-looking replica of the Apple ID login page, which will ask them to enter their username and password.

According to cyber security expert Graham Mcluley, regardless of what information is entered, users will be informed their Apple ID has been “locked for security reasons”. 

The phishing site then tells them they will need to provide further details such as their date of birth, telephone number, address, and credit card details to unlock the account.

In its dedicated phishing support page, Apple advises customers to be diligent when dealing with suspicious content and never enter such information.

“As a general rule, never send credit card information, account passwords, or extensive personal information in an email unless you verify that the recipient is who they claim to be,” Apple wrote.

“Many companies have policies that state they will never solicit such information from customers by email.”

You will see “Apple, Inc.” displayed in green in the browser, so you know that the site is legit.

Apple also told customers to check the website they are accessing is legitimate.

“If you think the URL is legitimate and you click on the link, you can still check that it’s a trusted website and business,” Apple wrote.

“Modern browsers like Safari 5, Firefox 7, Google Chrome, and internet Explorer 10 display the company name in green if the site has been issued an Extended Validation (EV) Certificate and is a legitimate website/business.”

However, the best defence against phishing attacks is to ignore any messages that appear slightly suspicious or to contact the company directly to verify its authenticity.