Latest Fake Message Trying To Convince You To Fall For Phishing
Before AI, one could identify fake/phishing messages; it wasn’t that difficult. Now that AI has taken hold, these messages look more legitimate and take a lot more work to identify. Today’s post will go over a new fake/phishing message being seen by both iPhone and Android users.
What The Fake/Phishing Message Looks Like – iOS
The one constant with phishing is that they want to give you a sense of panic. If you DON’T DO THIS IMMEDIATELY, and they can get you to panic, you are more likely to stop using common sense and fall for their tricks. In the case of the messages being seen
- It starts by looking like the message is from Apple security, since the header of the message says that.
- The message warns you that Hackers are watching you!
- It tells you that Your Apple iPhone connection has been hacked, and of course someone is watching on you! Note: Someone is watching on you proves that AI doesn’t always translate English properly.
- Followed by If you don’t fix this in two minutes, the hacker will reveal your identity and send your browser history and front-facing camera photos to everyone in your contacts! This is where you need to start to panic because everyone will see your selfies in the next 2 minutes, since the hacker will identify which pictures are specific to the front-facing camera.
Lastly, it will tell you that you need to install a recommended protection app.
- The biggest thing to note is that random panic update messages from Apple or anyone else DON’T come from random websites like the site shown at the bottom of the message.
- If there were a legitimate update, on iOS you will be able to close all the windows, and then go to Settings -> General -> Software Update, and the update will be listed there.
- In addition, a legit update message will NEVER give you a deadline that says you have 2 minutes or else, with a threat of pictures or other documents suddenly being exposed.
In the case of the iOS phishing message, when you try to close the window, you will then get an additional prompt that the creation of a PDF of System notifications did not finish and asking you to create a PDF anyway?
- For starters, here is another example where AI still doesn’t translate English properly, anyway.
- If you hit continue, you will still download the malware on your device.
- For both of these messages, the proper solution would be to reboot your device and, after rebooting, before you do anything else, go directly to the settings on the device -> apps -> click on the browser you were using -> look for History and Website Data
- Select Clear History and Website Data -> and select to clear today or the last 24 hours
As you want to remove anything that may have been downloaded (like cookies) from your browser prior to the phishing pop-up.
What The Fake/Phishing Message Looks Like – Android
Just like iOS, users on Android are seeing a similar message. In their case, the message says that an app, most likely PDF, has expired, just like iOS
- If you don’t update in time, you may no longer be able to open PDF files on your phone. That is the panic prompt. You may not even know what a PDF is, but Oh No, what are you going to do if you can’t open it?
For your knowledge PDF is a Portable Document Format that is a file format that was developed by Adobe in the early 1990s. Currently, you don’t actually need a specific program to open a PDF file, as your browser, no matter which one you use, is capable of opening PDF files.
So the reality is that anything that says Final Warning, should be a BIG RED FLAG that it is a phishing message.
- For the Android message, just like iOS, the fix is to reboot the device and then go into the browser you were using
- Go to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> delete browser data and select the last day or last 24 hours.
Final Thought
Scammers always want you to panic. If you panic, they have a better chance of getting you to fall for a scam. If you ever get a surprise message, take a breath and think. Look for the signs of phishing or a scam.
- If there is a panic message, it’s a scam.
- If it wants you to call a random number, it’s a scam.
- If it randomly wants you to download something, it’s a scam.
