What are Apple Scam Phone Calls?

Apple Inc. is a multinational American-based technology company with headquarters in Cupertino, California that designs and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and other products. Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Stephen Wozniak (who later had second thoughts about selling Apple), its name is now recognized as a global brand.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received an estimated 143,000 reports of tech support scams in 2018. The FTC reported over 2.1 million scam complaints in 2020. This loss, in turn, causes individuals and families to lose hard-earned money and damage their credit rating. The FTC recommends that you consider these risks when contacting potential business partners or receiving a call from someone claiming to work for a company or organization you already have a relationship with.

What Are Apple Scam Phone Calls?

Apple scam phone calls are pretty common and often occur when you receive a phone scam call from an unknown number. The caller claims to work for Apple and asks you to confirm important information about your account. After getting you to give up your personal details, they proceed to manipulate your device by making unauthorized changes or by installing malware that can expose your system to serious threats.

Phone scams can take the form of phone calls or SMS messages. For phone calls, scammers may also use robocalls, an automated voice promoting a mock service like tech support. To catch your attention, scammers can spoof their Caller ID information to mimic phone numbers from firms like Apple. Typically, they will imply that there is unusual activity on your account or device. They may even use flattery or threats to persuade you to give them personal information, money, or gift cards.

Oftentimes, phone scams mimic actual services to lure unsuspecting and vulnerable victims. Scammers may call you directly, or they may use telemarketing to create a sense that the call is safe, legitimate, and familiar. They call to sell products or services, often fake ones, in exchange for your personal info, money, or Apple gift cards. Scammers may also claim to offer Apple customers free security software or product trials as a way to download malware onto your device. Malware can give hackers access to your emails, text messages, and social media accounts. The data can then be used to trick you into giving up more of your personal information, including credit card numbers and login credentials to your Apple ID.

Fraudulent SMS messages may claim that your Apple account has been compromised or that you've been selected for an important job. They may tell you that you could make a large amount of money if you call the given number, or they may simply ask you to confirm personal information.

Browser pop-up scams are also a prevalent type of Apple scam that involves phone communication. In these scams, browser pop-ups appear at random and make it difficult to close them without restarting the browser app. These pop up scams recommend you call the offered Apple tech support number to fix it. If you do call the numbers, the scammer will request remote access to your device in order to steal your personal information.

How is Malware Used in Apple Phone Scams?

The technical means of these Apple phone scams are pretty complex and generally involve using sophisticated software known as Remote Access Trojans (RATs). An attacker can install a RAT on a computer or mobile device to obtain remote access without your knowledge. The most common way is for the attacker to send you a malicious attachment in an email.

Once installed, RATs act as digital spies, executing commands issued by the attacker at any time and without your knowledge. These commands can be given directly from the command line or through a specialized visual interface known as a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The malicious code can be used to steal information and personal data from Apple devices.

Scammers can even send emails to Apple customers with links attaching you to fake Apple deals or offers, which appear genuine but in fact lead to phishing scams. In such cases, the malware can be installed on your computer. Once installed, it will allow hackers access to your personal information and passwords, allowing them to commit identity theft.

Tell-tale Signs of an Apple Support Scam Call

The Caller's Information

The caller's information is often manipulated to make it appear more legitimate. The caller may hide their phone number, mask the area code, or forge a caller ID number. They may also create a fake name and fake email address to use during the call. Successful scams are based on personalization and attention-getting, so they make sure that they leave you feeling like they are calling from Apple.

The Caller's Voice

The caller's voice may be robotic, high-pitched, or nasally. The caller's accent may be pretentious or overzealous or more likely just plain wrong. Use an accent in the voice recording, have a different area code, or hide their location by making it sound like they're calling from Canada.

If you purchase based on an Apple scam phone call, the caller will ask for your bank account or credit card number. You may get a phony email notification from Apple about an unpaid bill or a refund. The email might also direct you to open an attachment or click a link on a website.

What Do Scammers Want From Apple Customers?

Scammers want you to give up your login credentials and steal your money. Once they take over your account, they will use it to buy things for themselves, such as gift cards or concert tickets. They may also use it to get you to download malware, exposing your system to the same threats as a malicious app. You're asked to give the caller access to your computer or account over the phone.

Scammers hoodwink Apple customers with emails to get them to share their personal information to get their account information. They may ask you to buy premium gift cards and "refunds" to your account, so they can buy merchandise and even things for themselves like concert tickets. In most cases, the scammers will already have access to your account.

The scammer may claim that a payment you made via Apple Pay went to someone else's account. That's possible because Apple doesn't know where the amount originated and can neither confirm nor deny that you did make the purchase. In these scams, the scammer is often in control of your account information and will steal it by transferring funds to another account.

Report Phone Scams to Apple

Apple provides a procedure for reporting an iPhone scam or spam calls. Since Apple doesn't have a phone number, you'll need to fill out the form and give as much information as possible. It also recommends that you don't trust unsolicited phone calls, which may be used to steal your personal information.

iPhone users who are tired of receiving spam calls or texts can report to Apple by taking these steps:

• Filter Unknown Senders
• Report Spam and Junk texts
• Block spam texts if report junk is not found

Filter Unknown Senders:

• Before you can report spam texts, you have to filter unknown senders
• Go to Settings
• Mail, Contacts, Calendars
• Move down to the bottom and tap on Unknown Senders
• Tap Filter Unknown Senders

Report Junk Texts:

• Tap the message you want to report as junk. In this case, it's a link to a free gift card.
• Tap Report Junk underneath the text of the message.
• Tap Report Junk again when prompted. Now tap Spam.
• Tap Block under the text from the news that started you to report it as junk.

Block Spam Texts:

If there are no more messages from senders on your list, just tap Block. Again, you can delete selected contacts from your list if desired.

Report Scam Gifts to Apple

Apple scam gift is one of the tricks for customers who use the Apple stores. The scammer can even use an Australian bank account number or business name to make it look like a legitimate request. This type of scam is called "smishing," which is "SMS phishing" – you are tricked into giving your bank details over SMS (text message). If your account is compromised, then these scammers might use your details to fraudulently buy things.

Report Phone Scams to Law Enforcement

The FTC's Do Not Call Registry can help to block most telemarketing sales calls, but the rule doesn't apply to companies you already do business with or nonprofit organizations in the U.S. The FTC is a government agency responsible for consumer protection and promoting competition in the U.S. economy through antitrust actions and law enforcement. You can register the scam number at their official website, or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want to write.

You can report fraudulent phone calls to the  FTC or your local law enforcement agency. You can contact the FTC by telephone at 1-877-382-4357 (1-877-IDTHEFT). You can  also report spam mails to the FTC email address.

iPhone users can report identity theft at identitytheft.gov. In the past, Apple has provided a number for customers to call if they were getting phone calls from an Australian number or wanted to report an email scam.

This number was called "Report Phishing," but authorities shut it down in May 2011. In America, two agencies handle scams, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the FTC. Apple has partnered with both agencies to help customers in their safety and to protect customers from phishing scams involving caller ID spoofing.

5 Tips To Protect Against Apple Scam Phone Calls

Apple ID customers should be wary of the fact that hackers are trying to access their personal information. For that reason, you should avoid jumping on offers that are too good to be true. Here are five tips to avoid being scammed as an apple phone user:

1. Always use a strong password and two-factor authentications, this will protect you from hackers.
2. Never give out your Apple user ID, password, or credit card information online or over the phone. The most effective way to avoid scams is to avoid giving out your personal data by answering the phone in a quiet location away from people.
3. Uninstall apps that are not from the App Store and do not download iOS firmware from third-party sources as they have a high chance of containing harmful malware.
4. Be wary of any unsolicited calls or emails that claim to be from Apple.
5. Always verify a caller’s identity. To do so, simply look up the number on your phone application or contact your mobile carrier. If anything seems off, call Apple support at 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) to verify that they are who they say they are. Consider that Apple will never call you to ask for your Apple ID, Touch ID, or any security questions and answers.

Some scams happen via text messages and emails, and they use the name of a trusted company that is sending you the message to get you to trust them. The wording sounds official, but it's not. To avoid being scammed, recognize these phrases:

• "Here's how to fix your problem."
• "You need to pay for your order."
• "Your Apple ID has been compromised."
• "You have an unpaid bill or refund.

Always keep in mind that Apple will never call you to ask for your Apple ID password.

What To Do If You Fall Victim to Apple Scam Phone Calls

Take a deep breath and compose yourself if you are a victim of a phone scam. The first thing to do is to submit a police report by calling the non-emergency number for local law enforcement. You can also report a scam even if you didn't fall for it. Whether you answered a robocall or you downloaded malicious software, or any other way, and you have realized that you are the target of a scam.

Based on the scheme and how you paid for the scam, you'll need to take action right away:

• If your phone has been hacked, make sure to check for any unrecognized apps. It's also possible to perform a factory reset on your device to get rid of a hacker.
• If your phone is still active, you can report the fraud to the FTC by filing a complaint at FTC Complaints or contacting them directly at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). If you are unable to use your phone, we recommend contacting the FTC at 1-866-653-4261.
• If you have purchased a fraudulent app from Apple's App Store, you can visit Apple’s Report a Problem page.
• If your iCloud account was hacked, you need to contact Apple support. To contact Apple, you can dial 1-800-275-2273 or visit the Apple Support webpage.
• If you are a scam victim and think that your credit card number might have been stolen, contact your credit card company immediately.
• If you send money to the scammers through your credit or debit card, call your card issuer immediately to check for fraudulent charges and ask if it could be reversed.

Protecting personal information is essential for victims as that could prevent further damage to the current situation. You can do this by changing all passcodes to the online accounts, monitoring your bank information, downloading anti-virus software in case of malicious software. Just to be sure that your social security number (SSN) is safe, you can contact the Social Security Administration (SSA)  to check whether your SSN has been compromised. Victims of scams can also request a credit freeze to stop further withdrawal or transfer of funds and a short fraud alert.

How To Block An Email Address and Phone Number

You should always block the email address or phone number associated with a Scam. To block an email address:

• Sign in to your Apple ID account page.
• Click on "My Support" and then click on "Email and SMS address blocking."
• Select the email address or phone number of the scammer.
• Then click on "Block this email address" or "Block this phone number."

To block a phone number, you can always follow the same steps, but instead of clicking on "Email and SMS address blocking," right-click on the phone number and choose "Add to do not call." You will have to check it periodically when you get calls from that particular number.