Con artists are calling people across the United States and Canada and claiming that their iCloud accounts have been hacked.
BBB Scam Tracker has gotten numerous reports of this scam in the past few weeks, and some targets say they’ve gotten 10 or more calls a day.
The scam starts when you get a robocall claiming to be from Apple Support. Your Caller ID may say “Apple Inc.” or the name of your local Apple store. The message informs you that your iCloud account was hacked and prompts you to stay on the line and speak to an Apple support “technician.”
If you stay on the line, this “technician” will offer to fix your account. But first, they will need remote access to your computer. “Allowing a scammer to access your computer puts you at immediate risk for identity theft,” says Julie Goodwin, Regional Director of the Better Business Bureau in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Scam artists can install malware that records passwords or hunts for personal information, such as bank account numbers, on your computer.
To protect yourself from tech support scams, follow these tips:
- Don’t ever give a stranger remote access to your machine: Granting someone remote access to your computer permits them to install malware and access your files.
- Don’t believe Caller ID: Victims report falling for this scam because the calls appear to come from Apple Support. Scammers often spoof phone numbers, so don’t believe what you see on your phone.
- Check out BBB Tips: Many tech support scams use similar techniques; see bbb.org/techsupportscam/ for more advice.
Learn more about scams impersonating Apple by visiting this page on support.apple.com.
To learn more about scams, go to BBB Scam Tips (bbb.org/scamtips). To report a scam, go to BBB Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker)