Subj : Scammers have a new phishing trick for iPhone users  heres how to
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Mon Jan 13 2025 11:45:05

Scammers have a new phishing trick for iPhone users  heres how to avoid 
falling victim

Date:
Mon, 13 Jan 2025 11:35:02 +0000

Description:
Phishers are getting creative with a new way to target scam victims on their 
iPhones.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Scammers
 have a new trick up their sleeves, and are using it on iPhone users They 
tell you to reply to their texts, which disables Apples scam protection 
Thankfully, there are a few ways you can stay safe 

Apple has built several scam-protection tools into iOS, one of which disables 
links in SMS messages if the text comes from an unknown number. However, it 
looks like scammers have found a way to bypass these defenses and send you 
dangerous links, despite Apples best efforts. 

As noted by Bleeping Computer , links are re-enabled if you reply to a 
message from an unknown source, as Apple assumes that replying means you 
trust the sender enough to also trust the URLs theyve included. 

However, scammers have latched onto this by instructing their victims to 
reply to their message, then click the re-enabled links. For instance, one 
scam message seen by Bleeping Computer contained a phishing link (which had 
been disabled), with the following text underneath it: 

Please reply Y, then exit the text message, reopen the text message 
activation link, or copy the link to Safari browser to open it. 

The idea seems to be that people are so used to replying to automated texts 
with things like 'YES' and 'NO' that they will automatically do the same with 
the phishing messages, thereby enabling potentially dangerous links to work 
again. How to stay safe (Image credit: Sora Shimazaki / Pexels) 

If you receive an unexpected message from an unknown source and see that the 
text contains links, do not reply to it. Doing so will make the links live 
again, but simply ignoring the text (and reporting it as spam) will ensure 
you cant fall victim to it. 

If you arent sure whether a message is genuine or not, the advice remains the 
same: do not reply to it. Instead, contact the company directly using its 
official channels. This will put you in touch with a legitimate employee who 
will be able to tell you whether the message you received is trustworthy or 
not. 

Even if you dont click any suspicious links in the text, simply replying to 
the message will signal to the scammer that your number is active and that 
you are willing to engage with phishing messages, making you a inviting 
target. 

Its better to be safe than sorry in these situations. If youve been sent a 
text you werent expecting from a sender that claims to be an official source, 
its best to be cautious rather than take any unnecessary risks. If in doubt, 
simply report it and don't interact with it. You might also like How to stop 
spam texts Watch out, iPhone fans  a new SMS attack could steal your Apple 
ID. Heres how to stay safe Text spammers are getting creative and trying to 
play on your emotional needs  don't fall for it



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/phones/scammers-have-a-new-phishing-trick-for-your-i
phone-heres-how-to-avoid-falling-victim


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