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.
If you guys get a random call from "Apple Support" don't fall for it guys. I just got hacked and lost all my money. pic.twitter.com/trcI4TKkHB
— steff ❤︎ (@steffartnieee) March 27, 2017
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.
