How do Hackers Get Your Apple ID?

Today’s digital world is rife with threats, and you can never be sure of your online safety. Hackers are developing new methods of accessing other people’s phones, this can be difficult to detect. Note that another method of hacking into your device is phishing.

It is not clear to everybody how the app for iPhone may contain spyware. To spread it, hackers use developer’s account tricks, disguising the spyware application as a game or program that is not in the app. The standard disguise is the hack of a paid game/program or some “unique” utility. Users find the ad for such an app somewhere online, follow the instructions, and install the third-party app not controlled by AppStore administration. Of course, not all programs installed in such a way are malicious, but it’s always risky.

In the case of phishing, the attacker tries to get our iCloud access data. To do that, they’ll send you fake e-mails on behalf of important companies. Attackers will also ask you to fill out forms and send them your confidential data, such as insurance numbers, passwords, and usernames. Additionally, phishing provides the distribution of external links through which to distribute malicious applications.

8 Warning Signs of Apple ID Compromising

As soon as hackers enter your device, you can replace their penetration. To do this, pay attention to such signs:

• Your Apple ID password is not working.
• Your device is locked or placed into “Lost Mode” while you did not lose it.
• You observe files, apps, photos, or messages that you don’t recognize stored in iCloud or anywhere on your device.
• You receive an Apple email stating that someone accessed your account from a new device.
• You have informed that your account’s email, phone number, or password was changed.
• You may receive receipts or documentation of unusual charges from the App Store or iTunes store.
• Your account information needs to be corrected. For example, a new name or address is used.
• You have informed that your account’s email or phone number altered.
• You have notified that your password changed.
• You may receive receipts or documentation of unusual charges from the App Store or iTunes store.
• Your account information needs a few corrects. For example, usage of new name or address.

What To Do If Your Apple Account Is Hacked

Your iPhone can affect more problems than you can imagine. Be vigilant and avoid unnecessary clicks, be it updates or websites. If you all have noticed some strange activity on your device, do the following steps to counteract.

• Log in to your Apple ID account page (appleid.apple.com). If you have trouble performing this or receive a notification that the account is disabled or locked, try resetting the account from your iPhone or any other Apple device, you’ve previously logged in on. To accomplish this, go to Settings, click on your profile on top, then go to Password & Security > Change Password. Here, follow the instructions to reset your password. You can also sign in to your Apple ID account from a new device by selecting “Forgot Apple ID or password?”.

• Next, change your Apple ID password, and choose a new, strong password. It could be more secure if your Password only contains letters, digits, and symbols. Consider using a password manager if you need more creativity to develop a password.

• Additionally, you should review all of your personal information. Check your name, primary Apple ID email, backup emails, and phone number. It’s necessary to ensure none of this was altered by the intruder. Otherwise, you will no longer be able to log in to your Apple ID and may lose all important files on your device.
• The most important security measure is to implement 2FA for your Apple ID. Two-factor authentication adds a layer of security that prevents access to your account even if your Password compromised. You’ll have to verify a second login credential with a PIN that you’ll receive via your mobile device or biometric identification. iPhones have a built-in 2FA authenticator. This can be increased in security by using the 2FA authenticator tool or a third-party 2FA app.

The post Was Your Apple ID Hacked? Here’s How To Secure Your Account appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

What is an Apple ID phishing scam?

Phishing is a method actors use to con people out of their data. This often includes passwords, social security numbers, and banking information. Phishers try to get this information so they can sell it for a hefty sum, or use it in more advanced scams. For example, imposters posing as Apple will ask for information in messages that appear legitimate. They lead you to a fake website that looks precisely like apple.com and then collect any data entered. Phishers use your Apple ID to access Apple services such as Apple Music, the App Store, and iCloud.

Why do scammers target your Apple ID?

Once they have access, they can use the stolen information to impersonate a legitimate user on the services they abused. Anyone posing as a scammer can access your Apple ID credentials, which allows them to access your personal information like addresses and banking information. Giving someone access to this information through an iCloud breach is risky because they can inspect your files, documents, and photos in your history. Scammers rely on finding private information or media they can use to extort money from you. Another way for money extortion is blocking your devices through FindMy service. If you have several devices linked to the hacked account, it could be pretty painful.

Types of Apple ID phishing scams

Apple ID hackers constantly develop new ways to scam people and earn money. People easily fall prey to new scams as previous methods are revealed and debunked. This ongoing process makes keeping the public safe difficult. So, lets review the main types of Apple ID scams:

• Apple ID receipt email

Apple ID phishing email with an attached Apple ID receipt claims to be from Apple. The email says that someone bought something using the recipient’s Apple ID. To make the email trick more believable, additional information can be included in the body of the email, such as a zip file or a hyperlink to sign in to your Apple ID. Once opened, the fake receipt will capture your personal information and store it in perpetuity. When an Apple phishing email appears in your inbox, it suggests that you have been locked out of your account.

• Disabled Apple account notification

This is a common tactic of cybercriminals who use phishing scams. A decoy website link often comes attached to this email. If the scammer hopes you’ll follow the link and try to access your account, they can get your password by logging in themselves.

• Apple ID text scams

In order to trick people, scammers use many different forms of phishing. For example, they might send you a text message your Apple ID has been locked or warn you that a fake text message was just sent to your phone. Scammers use this technique to create panic and confusion in their victims. In addition, they use deceptive statements that confuse them, such as links to fake websites that ask you to input information or contact them by phone.

• Apple ID phone call scams

Fake Caller ID allows con artists to disguise their name and logo as Apple’s real ones. This makes their scams seem even more accurate to the victim. Confident threat actors convince people easily through phone scams. This makes it harder for someone to notice they are being scammed. When receiving a call from a scammer, disconnect the call and dial Apple’s official support line. Once on the phone, inquire if they just called you.

• App store pop-up asking for your password

App Store pop-ups appear periodically when you interact with your phone, so entering your password when prompted feels natural. However, this can be dangerous if scammers manage to send you pop-ups directly. Moreover, they can just counterfeit a legit system push notification, so watch out and think if you really need to type the password at the moment.

• Fake calendar invitation

When you receive an unexpected invitation or email, the best thing to do is take a moment to analyze the invitation. Calendar virus malware is a form of attack that infects Apple devices, specifically iPhones and iPads. This malicious software allows hackers to add fake subscribed calendar accounts to a victim’s device without their authorization. This allows them to create notifications for “events” that include malicious links. Common terms for this type of malware include "iCalendar spam" and "iPhone calendar spam."

• iPhone locked

Scammers will often try to register your phone as lost, enable the Find My iPhone setting, and threaten to lock you out of your phone unless you pay them to relinquish control of your device.

How to identify an Apple ID scam?

To understand where the problem comes from, you need to pay attention to some things that appear on your PC. Here is a list of some of them:

1. Unusual email senders– Apple’s team will come up with a more professional email address. Even similarly looking appleid@apple.id.com is not an option. However, crooks rarely strain so hard, and often use some generic emails.
2. Typos– "Hello friend, we come with bad news" either Apple has lowered the bar on copywriting significantly, or you’ve caught a liar. Pay close attention to spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or incorrect spaces to identify potential scam messages.
3. URL shorteners– If the links you receive do not lead you directly to the official site of apple.com, then do not trust the source that sends you these links. Moreover, do not follow this link.
4. Urgency – fraudsters often like to escalate the situation. They often call users for urgent action. If you notice something suspicious in the message, such as the sender trying to make you respond quickly, do not respond to this.
5. Verify requests– Apple employees will never ask for your personal information. If someone asks you personal questions about your social security number or credit card, don’t join the conversation.
6. Generic greetings– Apple saves your name and uses it to refer to you when contacting you. If you are called sir/madam/friend in a message, the message is most likely a scam.

Top tips on how to identify and prevent an Apple ID scam

The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to follow ways to prevent fraud. If you are facing messages you cannot identify as legitimate, then it is best not to respond. In the end, follow the following tips to help reduce the risk of becoming a victim of Scammers.

• Always check the URL
• Don’t use the same password for multiple websites update password regularly
• Install antivirus software on your device
• Keep your web browser up to date
• Make sure you have the latest version of the operating system
• Never share your Apple ID password with anyone

The post Apple ID Scams: Identify and Prevent Apple Phishing Email appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.