UK consumer group Which? has issued a warning about a convincing scam targeting Apple users, in which fraudsters send emails claiming that iCloud storage is full or nearly full. The emails threaten that photos and videos will be deleted unless the recipient clicks a link to upgrade their storage plan.
The scam emails often appear alongside genuine Apple notifications about storage limits, making them harder to spot. One example seen by the Guardian has the subject line: 'We've blocked your account! Your photos and videos will be deleted on [date].' The emails include a button to 'update' payment methods or 'manage' storage, which leads to a phishing website designed to harvest personal and bank details.
Victims who provide their details risk having money stolen or their information sold on the dark web. Some emails also claim that a payment method has expired and that the cloud service has been disabled. Scammers may send a 'final warning' if the recipient does not respond.
Red flags include suspicious sender email addresses, such as those containing '.biz.ua' (Ukrainian business domains), and poor spelling or grammar. One email was headlined 'Your account may expires today'. Which? described the scam as 'nasty' in a Facebook post.
Users are advised to ignore or delete such emails and never click on any links. Suspicious emails can be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk, or to reportphishing@apple.com and abuse@icloud.com for iCloud-specific scams. If account details have been shared, victims should contact their bank immediately.
Apple directed inquiries to its webpage on avoiding scams. To check iCloud storage legitimately, iPhone users can go to Settings, then iCloud. If storage is full, they can upgrade directly through the genuine Apple interface.
