[rehab] FW: iOS Crash Report? Don't Be Fooled by iPhone/iPad Scammers
Dick Davis
ddavis at blindinc.org
Fri Jul 17 16:18:28 UTC 2015
Hi,
This is not related to jobs or rehab, but I thought it was important enough
to pass on to all of you. It is from our BLIND, Inc. system
administrator.
Dick Davis
*From:* James Gagnier [mailto:jgagnier at blindinc.org]
*Sent:* Friday, July 17, 2015 10:26 AM
*To:* allstaff at blindinc.org
*Subject:* iOS Crash Report? Don't Be Fooled by iPhone/iPad Scammers
Hi all,
For your information… I subscribe to several of these security lists and
I’ll pass on the ones that may affect you when I come across them if you
have no objections. Here’s the first one.
James
iOS Crash Report? Don’t Be Fooled by iPhone/iPad Scammers
Posted on July 16th, 2015 by Graham Cluley
<http://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/author/graham-cluley/> [image:
http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/aa9ea0686c5d1aa9086d4b12c3aa05f2?s=18&d=http%3A%2F%2F0.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D18&r=G]
[image: ios-crash-fraud]
Have you had an unusual error message popping up on your iPhone or iPad?
Keep your wits about you, because it's possible that scammers are
attempting to trick you out of your money, by posing as Apple tech support.
iPhone and iPad owners are being warned not to fall for a scam being
perpetrated against iOS users that could hit them in the pocket.
As British broadsheet *The Telegraph* reports
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/iphone/11743135/iphone-crash-report-how-to-block.html>
today, scammers have been displaying bogus error messages on potential
victims' iDevices — fraudulently posing as Apple's technical support team.
The messages attempt to trick iPhone and iPad users into calling a phone
number, where they will inevitably be asked to pay to have their precious
devices fixed.
A typical message reads as follows (I've removed the phone number):
**** IOS Crash Report ****
IOS crashed previously due to unwanted websites visit. There is a problem
with the configuration of your IOS. Please call Apple Technical Support at
0800-XXX-XXXX. Click on OK this will attempt to send a crash report to
Apple. Call now Apple 0800-XXX-XXXX.
Although *The Telegraph* is reporting on the scam hitting users in the
United Kingdom, a quick search of the Internet reveals that iOS users in
North America have been troubled by the fraudsters since at least last
September <http://www.ipadforums.net/threads/safari-caught-a-virus.123648/>.
According to reports on the Apple Support forum
<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6653282?start=0&tstart=0>, if the
message does scare you into calling the number displayed, a "technician"
may attempt to convince you that a third-party app has caused your iPhone
or iPad to crash, and encourage you to tell them your credit card details
to receive a fix.
In short, this scam appears to be an evolution of the "Microsoft Tech
Support scam" where unauthorised parties posing as Microsoft phone computer
users up out of the blue, and try to convince them that their (typically)
Windows computer is infected with malware. The elderly and vulnerable are
most likely to become victims, often handing over their payment card
details or allowing the "tech support staff" to remotely log into the
computer whereupon they can install malware.
The bogus iOS Crash Report message is a little different as it's *you* who
calls the scammer, rather than them initially calling you. But the call is
prompted by the message popping up while potential victims' surf the web.
The fraudulent alert is appearing while users are surfing websites with
Safari (the default browser bundled with iOS devices), and many victims
have reported that the messages can be banished by following a simple
procedure:
1. Place the phone in Airplane mode.
2. Go to *Settings > Safari*
3. Click on *Clear History and Website Data*
Other users have reported that it helps to ensure that *Block Pop-ups* is
enabled (also found under *Settings* > *Safari*).
[image: Safari settings for disabling pop-ups]
It's good that the fix is relatively easy, but that's only helpful if you
know about it.
The risk is that many people may not be so tech-savvy, and may simply
believe the seemingly helpful error message that has appeared on their
smartphone's screen and make the phone call.
You can do your bit to help the community by warning your friends and
family about scams like this, and reminding them that a little skepticism —
especially if they get so far as being asked to reach for a credit card
— could be a good thing.
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