Warning: Apple email scam is stealing users’ personal information

Another email scam is making the rounds! And this time it’s an attempt to fool Apple users into handing over their personal information.

What the scam looks like

According to the Better Business Bureau, scammers are sending people an email that appears to be from Apple ID Support, iTunes or iCloud.

It prompts you to download an attachment or click on a link that will then ask you to enter your Apple ID account information  — in order to ‘verify’ your account or regain access to your account. In some cases, people have even been asked to provide their credit card and other personal or financial information.

Read more: Top 15 scams and how to avoid them

The BBB says clicking on the link or downloading the attachment will cause malware to be instantly download onto your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone — which can compromise any information stored in that device.

trying to obtain consumers Apple ID account information. BBB is urging cyber surfers to spot the signs of an email spoofing scam and to protect their personal information.

‘Scammers are sophisticated and create realistic looking websites and emails that appear to be from legitimate businesses in order to obtain your personal information,’ says Sandra Crozier-McKee, president and CEO of BBB Serving Southern Alberta and East Kootenay. ‘It could be as simple as a slight misspelling of a word to trick viewers into believing they are being contacted by the actual business.’

Read more: Beware of new smart chip credit card scams

Here’s an example from the BBB of what the iTunes email scam may look like:

How to protect yourself

Here are some tips to help you avoid this scam and others like it:

• Be wary of unexpected emails containing links or attachments: If you receive an unexpected email claiming to be from your bank or other company that has your personal information, don’t click on any of the links or attachments. It could be a scam. Instead, log in to your account separately to check for any new notices.

• Call the company directly: If you aren’t sure whether an email notice is legit, call the company directly about the information sent via email to find out if it is real and/or if there is any urgent information you should know about.

• Look out for grammar and spelling errors: Scam emails often contain typos and other errors — which is a big red flag that it probably didn’t come from a legitimate source.

• Never respond to a text message from a number you don’t recognize: This could also make any information stored in your phone vulnerable to hackers. Do some research to find out who and where the text came from. 

• Don’t call back unknown numbers: If you get a missed call on your cell phone from a number you don’t recognize, don’t call it back. Here’s what you need to know about this phone scam.

For basic protection, use anti-virus and anti-malware software and keep it up to date. See Clark’s Virus, Spyware and Malware Protection Guide for links to free options.