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Warning: Don’t believe phone scammers who say your iCloud account was hacked

Published Mar 30th, 2017 11:43AM EDT
iPhone iCloud Hack Phone Scam
Image: Aflo/REX/Shutterstock

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There’s a group of hackers out there that claims it can reset hundreds of millions of iPhones by using stolen iCloud credentials. The attack should occur on April 7th unless Apple pays a ransom, but the iPhone maker denied having its servers breached. If the threat is real, it uses data taken from previous breaches. Information gained from previous hacks might be used to reset iPhones, a report showed, but it’s not clear what the scope of the attack would be. So far, the hackers seem to be interested in getting as much publicity as possible.

But other scammers have developed a different iCloud con, one that’s getting more traction thanks to all the news detailing the potential attack on April 7th. The scammers call unsuspecting iPhone users to tell them their iCloud accounts have been hacked. Whatever you may think, don’t believe them — your iCloud account is probably safe.

The scammers pretend to call you from Apple’s support department, Business Insider explains, and many people posted on Twitter to detail their experiences with this new iCloud con.

The callers, who seem to be targeting users at random, will tell you that your iCloud account was hacked, and they will ask for your credentials to verify your identity. The log-in information can then be used by an attacker to sign into the victim’s iCloud account, make purchases, access protected messages and backups, and more.

Furthermore, Macworld points out that scammers may insist on installing antivirus software on your computer, which is likely malware ready to steal more data from unsuspecting victims.

https://twitter.com/HenryKIRO7/status/847238485580718080

If you believe that your iCloud account was hacked, change the password yourself on a machine you know to be secure, and consider enabling two-factor authentication. You can even contact Apple yourself, but don’t fall for this scam.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.