If you see an offer promising $500 toward Apple’s new foldable iPhone, hit the brakes. AARP reports that scammers have created a fake Apple-looking website offering a $500 voucher and free AppleCare+ to entice people into a phony order. The site uses Apple’s branding and even a countdown clock to make the deal feel urgent.
Of course, as you probably guessed, it’s too good to be true and there’s a catch: The fake website can attempt to take advantage of security weaknesses in older versions of iPhone software simply when the page is opened. Yep, that’s right. You don’t have to click anything else. Just open the page.
If successful, criminals could potentially access saved passwords, photos, messages, notes, and other sensitive information from your device.
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The best defense is surprisingly simple. Keep your iPhone updated. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install the latest available update. Even better, make sure automatic updates are enabled and then you don’t even have dread looking at that little red dot letting you know to do it. The update is just there. As if by magic.
And remember, if an offer seems too good to be true, don’t investigate it by clicking the link. Go directly to Apple’s website or a trusted retailer instead. That $500 “deal” may be nothing more than bait with a cybercriminal sitting at the other end of the fishing line.
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