Don’t fall for another scam call—this one about “Apple iCloud”

Ignore that call from Apple Support about an iCloud breach

The scams keep rolling in. This week several mountain homes have been on the robocall list for a scammer hitting our area. I just got this one on my home line five times on Friday.

Two years ago Glenn Fleishman, in Macworld magazine, reported a scam call at his home from “Apple Support” saying that iCloud security had been breached and asking you to “press one.”

“It wasn’t Apple, but fraudsters trying to piggyback on reports that a major breach of iCloud credentials could render hundreds of millions of accounts vulnerable,” Fleishman wrote. “Apple says no such breach occurred,” he added, but suggested turning on two-factor authentication at iCloud anyway.

He also recommended that it “is vital to alert friends, family, and colleagues about such calls and help immunize them from falling for it. Many of these services sound and act professional, and have been victimizing Windows users for years.”

They typically target Windows users, either through unsolicited calls or pop-up messages on internet sites because of the sheer number of Windows users. They try to get you to let them connect to your computer via a reverse screen share, using one of the many free sites that provide person-to-person screen sharing and control.

Then, they claim to have scanned your computer, found malware, and ask for payment so they can “fix” your computer. In the process, they install adware and sometimes malware, plus charge a high or recurring fee on your credit card, or both.

Help those you know train themselves to be alert for scams, whether they come from an unsolicited call or a pop-up, and do not provide any personal information or credit-card details. These scams rely on fear and plausibility. By teaching people what to look for and, most importantly, to confirm details and wait before acting, you can  defeat them.  —Thanks to MacWorld and Glenn Fleishman.

This is part of the September 7, 2018 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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