If you’re calling Apple for support, only do so using the contact information found on Apple’s support site ().įortunately, she was not fooled and did not give up her account information. It’s also worth pointing out that searching the web for something like “Apple support phone number” can also put you in touch with scammers rather than official Apple support. (I frequently see local or even familiar phone numbers on the caller ID for scam calls… scammers do this to increase the chances of getting the victim to pick up the phone.) Interestingly, caller ID reported that the second call originated from a legitimate Apple phone number in the 408 area code… which really means nothing these days, as it has become trivial to spoof a phone number for caller ID. The first call was from a 1-800 number not associated with Apple. Twice in one day, she received unsolicited phone calls, supposedly from Apple Support, claiming that her iCloud account had been hacked “by Russian hackers,” and asking for her account information. Interestingly, a Malwarebytes employee has spotted a new iCloud scam attempt. There’s no doubt, though, that iCloud/Apple ID login credentials are popular targets for hackers. (It turned out the hackers had far fewer accounts than they claimed and the threatened erasure of devices never happened.) There was even the recent case of compromised iCloud accounts that were used in an attempt to extort money from Apple, under the threat of wiping all devices associated with the compromised accounts. Celebgate involved a number of celebrities who had their accounts compromised, resulting in the theft and subsequent publication of nude photos. Other scammers want access to your files – typically photos stored in iCloud – such as the “Celebgate” incident.
Some are interested in the purchasing power since iCloud accounts double as Apple IDs, which can be used to make purchases from the Mac App Store, iOS App Store, and even the online and brick-and-mortar Apple Stores. It’s also frequently attacked via brute-force guessing of weak passwords and weak security questions. The goal of such scams is to get you to click a link that takes you to a fake iCloud login page, resulting in you submitting your iCloud login credentials to thieves. It’s a common target for scams involving phishing e-mails. If customers have any questions about their account security Apple advises them to call their tech support number 80.ICloud is an increasingly large target for scams of all kinds. The scammers aren’t the only threats facing the tech company and its customers.Ī group of hackers recently announced plans to tamper and “wipe” millions of iCloud users’ devices unless Apple pay them a ransom.Īpple has refuted the group’s claims, expressing that the data is likely from “previously compromised third-party services.”
“Our helpline is available should customers need assistance, and they should never use the number provided in such a cold call or in a dialog box that pops up on their screen,” Johnson said. To decrease the likelihood of becoming a victim of scams, costumers should make sure they are initiating conversations about accounts that include personal information.
“It's important customers check to make sure they’re contacting Apple directly before calling back,” Apple employee Colin Johnson said.
NJ Families Rocked Awake After Driver Sails Into Front PorchĪpple’s policy does not include contacting customers in the same manner that is being described by recipients of the scammer phone calls.