“Ever miss a call from Apple?”
My wife texted me this question, along with a screenshot showing she had missed a call from Apple. It looked legit, even showing that it came from the official Apple support number, 1(800) MYAPPLE.
It definitely wasn’t.
Fortunately, my wife didn’t answer or call back. Actually, if she had called back she would have gotten a totally legitimate Apple sales or support person, which makes the whole thing that much more impressive. Everything about this call seems real.
Before we go any further, here’s the bottom line: if you get a call that says it’s from Apple Inc., unless you’ve asked Apple for a support callback, it’s a scam. They definitely aren’t calling to alert you to any “suspicious activity,”
Besides the time the scam caller spoofed my own number to call me, this is by far the most clever. Called pretending to be from @apple it's a default contact on every iPhone. Said my @Apple account was compromised and wanted to help me re-secure it. pic.twitter.com/Lz7RGMiFje
— Kyle Titus (@KyleTitus) July 25, 2019
MacDailyNews Take: This is not a new phishing scam, but it is particularly well-executed.
If you see a message while browsing the web that your iPhone, Mac, or other Apple device has a virus, or someone claiming to be from Apple calls and asks for your account name and password, you’re likely the target of a scam.
Scammers use any means they can — fake emails, pop-up ads, text messages, even phone calls — to try to trick you into sharing personal information, such as your Apple ID password or credit card information. Use this information to protect your account and avoid scams.
Never share your Apple ID password or temporary verification codes with anyone. Apple will never ask you for this information to provide support.
If you get an unsolicited call from someone claiming to be from Apple, hang up and contact Apple directly.
I agree that if you get any calls from someone who claimed to be any real companies, but they ask you to pay for any kind of money over the phone, then you should just hang up the calls and block the numbers. Those scammers have used this trick since years ago. I’ve just read some similar reports filed by people at https://www.whycall.me/800-100-9009.html. It’s not hard to identify the scams. All we need to do is keep spreading the word and inform our family.