Beware of Phishing Scams: Lost iPhone Recovery Warning

Protect Yourself from iPhone Phishing Scams

iPhone users beware! The Swiss National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a warning about a new phishing scam targeting iPhone owners. This scam pretends to have found your lost or stolen iPhone but is actually a ploy to steal your Apple ID credentials.

When you lose your iPhone or it gets stolen, you can set a custom message in Apple’s Find My app that appears on the lock screen. This message may include contact information for the owner, such as an email address or phone number.

Scammers are now using this information to send targeted phishing texts (smishing) through SMS or iMessage to the displayed contact information. They claim to be from Apple’s Find My team and falsely state that they have found your lost phone.

The NCSC warns that scammers may exploit the hope of recovering a lost iPhone by sending convincing messages that include details like the phone’s model, color, and other information that can be easily obtained from the locked device.

These phishing messages often contain a link to a fake Find My website that appears to show the device’s location. However, this link redirects to a phishing page that mimics Apple’s official website. When victims enter their Apple ID and password, the scammers gain full access to their account.

The ultimate goal of these scammers is to remove Apple’s Activation Lock, a security feature that links an iPhone to its owner’s Apple ID and prevents unauthorized access.

The NCSC recommends the following preventive measures:

• Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited messages or entering Apple ID details on external websites.
• If your device is lost, immediately enable Lost Mode through the Find My app or iCloud.com/find to secure it.
• Consider using a dedicated email address for displaying contact details on a lost device’s lock screen.
• Keep your device registered to your Apple account to maintain Activation Lock protection.
• Protect your SIM card with a PIN to prevent misuse of your phone number.

Remember, Apple will never contact customers via SMS or email to report a found device. Stay vigilant and ignore any suspicious messages claiming to have found your lost iPhone.

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