A new online scam is taking off and targeting iPhone users. More and more people are reporting receiving alarming emails telling them their iCloud storage space is full and all their data is at risk of being deleted unless they make an urgent payment.
The messages seem credible because they exploit a real situation: Apple’s official notifications informing users that they have exceeded their storage limit and that backups or photo uploads no longer work. In this context, scammers send emails announcing account blocking and imminent data deletion, urging victims to “upgrade” immediately, according to The Guardian.
How fraud works
As a rule, the emails include links that promise a quick solution to the problem. In reality, they redirect users to fake sites, specifically created to mimic Apple’s official platforms. Once there, users are encouraged to enter bank details or personal information.
If this data is provided, scammers can make fraudulent transactions or sell the information on the online black market.
More and more aggressive messages
There are several variations of this scam, some of them extremely alarmist. Among the formulations encountered are:
“We have blocked your account! Your photos and videos will be deleted”
“Your payment method has expired! Your cloud service has been disabled”
“Payment failed for storage renewal”
In some cases, users even receive “final warning” emails telling them that all data will be deleted if they don’t act immediately.
British consumer protection organization Which? warns that this fraudulent scheme is becoming more widespread and urges users to be vigilant.
What you have to do
Specialists recommend that such messages be ignored or deleted immediately. Users should not access links in suspicious emails and under no circumstances enter personal or bank details.
For verification purposes, it is recommended that access to the iCloud account be done only through the official applications or the Apple website.
