A new warning has been issued to iPhone users over a scam that could potentially lose you thousands of pounds in minutes.
The scam takes the form of fake Apple Pay ‘fraud alerts’, which victims are receiving via text message, claiming that a fraudulent transaction was made via their account, requiring immediate action.
The message often claims the person’s money is about to be compromised, urging them to quickly move funds to a ‘safe account’.
Alternatively, victims can be asked to withdraw cash, or send money through Apple Pay or in the form of gift vouchers.
And the text is made worryingly plausible by the use of stolen personal details.
Consumer advocacy organisation Consumer Affairs has shared details of the threat, explaining that it relies on social engineering rather than breaking into computer systems.
‘Apple Pay itself is secure, but scammers exploit trust in the brand and the speed of digital payments,’ it explained, citing the case of one victim who, after being sent a text, was urged to call a specific number for help.
That number connected her to a scammer posing as an investigator, with the victim coming perilously close to losing $15,000 (£11,100) before a bank worker intervened.
The organisation has warned that the scam is designed to trick people into authorising a payment themselves, making it very difficult to recover the money once it has been sent.
What are the warning signs of the scam?
Consumer Affairs has urged iPhone users to be wary of unusual messages from Apple Pay, as well as requests to call a certain phone number or to act straight away to deal with the alleged problem.
They also warned against clicking on any of the links or calling any numbers contained within the message.
What should you do if you get a message?
The main advice is to slow down and not act with urgency, in spite of what the message says.
Instead, check your Apple Pay activity directly on your device, and contact Apple or your bank directly, using their official phone number, to confirm that the message is not genuine.
Apple has also said that if you ever receive a suspicious text of this nature you should take a screenshot and email it to [email protected].
They added: ‘If you get an unsolicited or suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be from Apple or Apple Support, just hang up.’
And it’s worth remembering that Apple, along with other tech firms such as Microsoft or Google, will never contact you asking you to call a number or link to a specific website.
Likewise, your bank will never ask for your password or PIN in full over the phone.
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