People in Gedling borough are being warned to watch out for a scam which is targeting people who use Apple’s iTunes.
This sophisticated email scam sees people receive a message claiming to be from Apple and warning the victim that their iTunes subscription has expired and the linked Apple account has therefore been put on hold.
To remove the hold, claims the email, you need to click a renewal link and follow the instructions.
The email includes the Apple logo and, at least at first glance, may appear to be a genuine Apple notification message.
However, the email is not from Apple and the claim that you must renew your iTunes subscription by clicking a link is a lie. In fact, the email is a phishing scam designed to steal your personal and financial information.
The warning posted on the Hoax-Slayer website warns people that if they click the bogus renewal link, they will be taken to a fraudulent webpage designed to look like the genuine Apple website.
The victim will first be asked to enter their Apple ID and password, ostensibly to begin the subscription renewal process.
After “logging in” on the fake site, the victim is taken to a form that asks them to provide credit card information and also their address, contact details and date of birth (see screenshot below).
[message title=”READ MORE:” title_color=”#000000″ title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#eaeaea” id=””] [/message]
After hitting the “confirm” button on the fake form, the victim may receive a message claiming that they have successfully renewed your subscription.
But, now, online criminals can collect the information provided and use it to hijack your Apple account and commit credit card fraud.
They may also be able to use the personal details submitted along with other information taken from your account to steal your identity.
Apple phishing scams like this one are very common and take many forms.
Be wary of any email or text message that purports to be from Apple and claims that you must click a link or open an attached file to avoid an account suspension, update details, or fix a supposed account problem.
Apple say they will not send messages that make such demands.
