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An alert has been issued cautioning that users have been receiving phone calls from fraudsters who make the call from a spoofed number that comes across the screen as “Apple.”
According to police, you’re told that your account has been compromised or some other issue exists with your iPhone, laptop or other devices. The purported remedy is to purchase gift cards, and provide the serial numbers of said gift cards to the scammer on the other end of the phone.
In Westchester, a Yorktown resident recently reported being victimized by the scam.
“Knowledge is power. If you have children who have a cell phone, live on social media or are away at college with Apple technology items, you may especially want to share this info,” the Yorktown Police Department posted on Facebook. “If you fall victim to this scam, initiate a police report with your local police department. If you receive scam phone calls, please advise the FTC, so they can continue to update their list of scams.”
Apple's website states that if a customer gets a call claiming to be from Apple support, that you should hang up immediately, and call the customer service number on your own. They also suggest that you activate two-factor authentication to protect yourself.
The company noted that real support team members do not ask for an Apple ID, password, iCloud information or verification codes to provide help.
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