Apple has recently announced the iPhone 16 lineup at the “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9. With pre-orders already live, it’s no surprise that you must be excited to book your favorite iPhone at the earliest. However, you should be very careful while pre-ordering it. Security researchers at Kaspersky have recently issued a warning about scammers already targeting iPhone 16 buyers with legit-looking faux websites offering heavy discounts.
Kaspersky issues warning about pre-order and online support scam targeting iPhone 16 buyers
Kaspersky researchers have recently identified fraudulent activity relating to the iPhone 16 launch. They have come across fake websites that appear to be authentic. Scammers are seemingly using such websites to target users with fake pre-orders, early-adopter deals, and fraudulent technical support. One common scam involves the chance of pre-ordering the latest iPhone 16 series at a 40% discount.
When the user clicks through, the website asks for the billing and shipping address with the option to make payments via PayPal. In fact, a fake invoice is also generated along the process with details about taxes and shipping. That’s not all, the fake website also promises “free delivery” to entice potential iPhone 16 buyers to fall for the scam. As with other scams, no iPhone is delivered once you make the payment. Rather, your personal and card details are stolen by the attackers which they can even sell on the dark web.
That’s just one part of the scam impacting iPhone 16 buyers, researchers have also issued warnings about fraudulent technical support. Scammers are also targeting Latin American users using a fake Spanish iPhone support website. According to security experts, one such page of the website can scam users when they try reporting device theft. Whereas, the other page scams users by faking to help update their iPhones.
The alleged website prompts you to sign in with your Apple ID and ends up stealing all the key details of your digital presence. Fraudsters can access and sell your personal details like your name, email address, and more on the dark web. Even worse, they can access your iCloud account to make unauthorized payments using your Apple ID and steal money from your Apple Wallet.
Here are different ways to stay safe from online fraudsters
The warning for iPhone 16 buyers has also come alongside some recommendations to stay safe from these kinds of scams. First and foremost, always stick to the official channel to pre-order your iPhone 16. Meaning, you should visit the official Apple website and trusted retail partners to pre-book your beloved iPhone.
Next, double-check the URL address of the website and the email address provided on it. Scammers often redirect users to a fake website by designing it like an official one. Besides, they use somewhat identical URLs to redirect them without even knowing. Therefore, don’t click on anything suspicious, no matter how generous deals or discounts it claims to offer.
If a website or email asks for your credit card, personal identification numbers, or Apple ID password, avoid entering it. Apple never asks for such information through unsolicited emails or links. That’s not all, you should always add Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to secure your online accounts with payment methods linked to them. All in all, if you keep these suggestions and warnings about safely buying the iPhone 16 series in mind, scammers won’t be able to trick you easily.