Written by
Aranza Trevino
Edited by
Anne Cutler
Reviewed by
Darren Guccione
With the new iPhone 15 release, scammers are taking advantage by impersonating mobile carriers or Apple support, claiming their target is eligible for a free or discounted iPhone upgrade. The scammer’s goal is to get their target to provide personal and financial information which is then used to attempt identity theft or make unauthorized charges.
Read on to learn what signs to look out for and what to do if you fall victim to this iPhone 15 scam.
Here are the signs of a fake iPhone 15 upgrade scam.
One of the first signs of a fake iPhone 15 scam is an offer that seems too good to be true. These offers will entice you with a free or discounted iPhone 15. The first thing you should know is that Apple will never unsolicitedly contact you for a free or discounted product. If you think an offer you’ve received from your mobile carrier or Apple support seems too good to be true, it most likely is.
Another sign to look out for is receiving emails claiming to be from your mobile carrier or Apple support, but their email addresses don’t match with who they claim to be. For example, if you receive an email claiming to be from Apple support but their email address is something like applesupport@hotmail.com, the email is a scam and you should avoid interacting with the contents of it. Legitimate companies use corporate email domains. As an example, Apple’s email domain is @apple.com or @icloud.com.
Receiving an email that says you’re eligible for a free or discounted iPhone 15, and then urging you to click on a link to claim the iPhone is another sign of this scam. These links are known as phishing links. If you click on one of these links, you’ll be taken to a website that may look legitimate but is actually designed to steal your data. These are known as spoofed websites. A spoofed Apple website is meant to get you to log in to your iCloud account, but entering your Apple ID credentials means you’re essentially handing them over to the scammer. The scammer will then be able to use your credentials to log in to your actual iCloud account which contains all of your sensitive information.
Another telltale sign of a fake iPhone 15 upgrade scam is an email requesting that you provide personal information to claim the “offer.” Some personal information a scammer may request includes the following.
It’s crucial that you never reply to emails requesting your personal information, especially if the emails are unsolicited.
If you fall victim to this iPhone 15 scam by clicking a malicious link or providing a scammer with your sensitive information, here’s what you should do.
If you entered your Apple ID credentials into a spoofed website, you need to take steps to protect or recover your Apple ID. First, check to see if you’re able to change your Apple ID password. If you can, use a password generator to help you create one that is strong and can’t be easily cracked. If you can’t change your Apple ID password, it’s because the scammer has already changed it to lock you out of your account. You’ll need to reset your password if this is the case. You can reset your Apple ID password by going to https://iforgot.apple.com.
Once you’ve regained access to your Apple ID, take an extra security measure by enabling 2FA on your account. Enabling 2FA provides your account with an extra layer of security and prevents anyone from gaining unauthorized access to your account with only your password. To turn on 2FA for your Apple ID, take the following steps.
While a scammer had access to your Apple ID, they may change some of your account information by adding an alternate email address and phone number so they can still access your account, even if you’ve regained access to it. To ensure that your Apple ID account information hasn’t been changed, or to update it if it has been changed, take the following steps.
Apart from your Apple ID, the scammer may attempt to gain access to your other online accounts. If you reuse the same password across multiple accounts and the one you used for your Apple ID was among them, immediately change your passwords on all of the affected accounts.
Coming up with more than one strong, unique password can be challenging – not to mention the challenge of having to remember them on your own. Use a password manager to help you create, manage and store all of your passwords. The only password you’ll need to remember is your master password. Be sure to also enable 2FA for all of your online accounts. Some password managers like Keeper Security come with a feature to store 2FA codes, which are autofilled every time you log in to your account, along with your username and password.
A compromised Apple ID can give scammers and other cybercriminals access to multiple types of personal information, including your saved payment methods, the location of your friends and family in the Find My Friends app, the location of your Apple devices, your saved photos, saved passwords and more.
It’s impossible to know exactly what information a scammer was able to get away with while they had access to your iCloud account, so you’ll need to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. This activity can include unusual sign-in attempts or unusual charges on your credit or debit cards. The sooner you notice suspicious activity, the sooner you can take action to protect yourself and your data.
Once you’ve regained access to your Apple ID and taken steps to secure your other online accounts, report the phishing email to Apple by sending an email to reportphishing@apple.com. Be sure to include screenshots of the phishing email.
The latest iPhone 15 upgrade scam is proof of just how far scammers will go to steal someone’s identity and money. You must take steps to learn how to spot phishing scams so you can avoid falling for them and having your personal information and accounts compromised. Learn more about how you can stay safe from phishing attacks.
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