Apple Users Targeted by Phishing Scam Threatening iCloud Data Deletion

Severity: Medium (Score: 54.8)

Sources: Theguardian, Cybernews

Summary

A new phishing scam is targeting Apple users with deceptive emails claiming that their iCloud storage is full and threatening imminent deletion of their photos and videos. The scam emails, which appear to be from Apple, instruct users to click a link to upgrade their storage, leading to a phishing website designed to capture personal and financial information. The fraudulent messages often coincide with legitimate notifications from Apple, making them particularly convincing. Variations of the scam include alarming subject lines such as 'We’ve blocked your account!' and 'Your payment method has expired!'. Users who do not respond may receive follow-up emails with escalating threats of data deletion. The UK consumer body Which? has issued warnings about the scam, urging users to be vigilant. Signs of the scam include suspicious email addresses and poor grammar. Victims who provide their bank details risk further financial theft or data resale on the dark web. Key Points: • Fraudulent emails threaten iCloud users with data deletion to prompt upgrades. • Scam emails mimic legitimate Apple notifications, increasing their effectiveness. • Users are advised to report suspicious emails and verify storage status through official channels.

Key Entities

• Phishing (attack_type)
• Ecuador (country)
• Ireland (country)
• biz.ua (domain)
• icloud.com (domain)
• phishing.gov.uk (domain)
• T1566.002 - Spearphishing Link (mitre_attack)
• T1566 - Phishing (mitre_attack)
• ICloud (platform)