Scammers spare none. They are like your evil forces in the Marvel movies that work in organized teams to deceive and harm you (financially, if not physically, but it damages you all the same). Scams are a reality and a growing menace worldwide. Scammers have managed to flummox even the police force, the detectives, the I-Teams, or any law enforcement agency that coordinates and collates facts to nab the perpetrators.
Sometimes they are successful in their chase, but oftentimes they are not. Cyber crime means dealing with a bunch of smart, manipulative, and tech-savvy individuals with a strong network, who are much ahead of their times, spread across the nooks and corners of the land, and operating from undisclosed locations that are hard to trace.
It is always better to be safe than sorry. It’s wise to be vigilant at all times because the money that gets siphoned off is irreversible for the most part.
In this post, we talk about the Apple Tech Support scams, what they are, how they work, the red flags to watch for, and how to report such scams to the concerned authorities for appropriate action. Read on.
What is Apple Tech Support Scam? How Does It Work?
Typically, the scammers will pose to be executives from Apple and will initiate contact with you. Now, that’s a red flag. No one will ever call you from the organization unless you have specifically requested a callback from the support team.
They will introduce themselves with fictitious names, and will claim that they have called to check on your system and “fix” issues remotely. These issues do not exist in reality, neither is your computer infected, so that is their way to stump you. Also, please pay close attention to any background noise that sounds off-track (too many people talking in the background, maybe in other languages; people coughing, etc.) Apple is a multinational technology company that can afford to give out high-quality noise-canceling headphones to its employees, right?
The less-trained scammer will typically repeat instructions (for their lack of knowledge and competence in the subject), insist on knowing what device you are using (laptop or PC), take long pauses in between their sentences, stammer, want to know your browser and will ask you to type an unknown URL that doesn’t look legit.
They will try to convince you that they are trying to fix the problem in your machine to protect you from hackers when in reality, they are wanting remote access to your system to install malwares through unknown links that spread viruses and compromise the system. They will also try to steal your personal information for their own gains, and rip your account off of significant money once you type in bank account details or credit card numbers. Unwittingly if you click on any such links from unverified sources, you also risk losing all your personal and sensitive information to these scammers.
They will hang up on you the moment they realize that you are too smart for them to mislead. However, it’s the smarter and more manipulative ones you need to be more vigilant against. They will be faultless to a T, and can lead you on with quite a gift of their gab and superior knowledge in IT and softwares.
How to Stay Safe From Apple Tech Support Scams?
Do not engage in conversations with people you do not trust or recognize. Do not accept unsolicited requests to access your electronic device; Apple will never need remote access to fix a problem.
Never click on links or attachments sent from sources or emails that you do not recognize, and which look suspicious and unprofessional. Pay close attention to their grammar and diction on the phone. Misplaced grammar or diction is a giveaway.
Apple will never initiate contact unless requested. It will also never ask for personal information, or make money transfer requests for unsolicited service. Establish a strong support connection, and update your software.
Be skeptical when someone claims to call from Apple. Try and take as much information as you can before disconnecting. You can provide these details to the local authorities for a thorough probe into the scam.
How to Report Apple Tech Support Scams
1) Report the Scam to Apple Support — The first thing you do when you get scammed is to let the support team at Apple know about the incident. Share the details you collected about the scammer, or any information that you think can help them prove their real identities. Apple will also need these details to share with the relevant authorities who can investigate the case for you.
You can access their contact numbers from their official website. You can choose to either fill out the appropriate web-form, or write an email to support. Here is the email (reportphishing@apple.com) to report a suspicious scam. If you received a suspicious email on your iCloud or Mac inbox, write to abuse@icloud.com.
2) File a Complaint With the Federal Trade Commission — The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws, and has the legal right and authority to investigate scam reports. You must approach the FTC without fail.
3) Report Scam to The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — The IC3 is a partnership between the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the National White Collar Crime Center, and is responsible for investigating cyber crimes, those happening on the internet. You can file a complaint on their official website.
