Kaspersky Lab is advising iOS device users to be extra cautious when inputting their personal data after a huge increase in phishing campaigns stealing iCloud and iTunes user account information including credit card details.
The number of phishing scams involving unofficial copies of Apple.com has spiked since 2012. In 2011 Kaspersky registered around 1,000 attempts to phish for personal info in this way, but now this figure has risen to a daily average of around 200,000.
The attack attempts by cybercriminals on iOS users include sending them emails supposedly from service@apple.com or the Apple Customer Support team. They will feature the Apple logo, be professionally written or even include links to the Apple FAQ pages to make them appear legitimate.
Within these emails though are fake Apple website links that request personal and credit card details from the user, which is then stolen by the phishing campaign.
In order to detect whether a site is authentic, users are advised to check the full address of the given site in the browser address bar. The fake ones will often include apple.com but the full link will give away hints that reveal its real identity.
However, iPhones and iPads have been targeted because the mobile version of Apple’s Safari browser hides the address bar away.
iPhone and iPad users can protect themselves by only opening site links that they can see the full website address.
Apple also offers a two-step authentication process to protect its customers against such attacks, which involves sending a four-digit code to one or more devices registered to the user’s Apple ID.
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