The saying goes that if it’s too good to be true, it probably is - and that’s certainly the case with the latest text scam.
Researchers from Sophos have warned of a new text scam that tricks users into thinking they’re eligible for an iPhone 12 trial.
The text appears to be from an Apple chatbot, and is meant to look like it was sent to the wrong number.
Paul Ducklin, Principal Research Scientist at Sophos, explained: “The message is meant to look like it was sent to the wrong number, so the crooks are relying on you being intrigued enough to click through, whereupon they use some sneaky "reverse authentication" psychology to lure you in further.
“The scam first shows you some cheery messages from a fake Apple chatbot to tell you why you - actually, to tell you why *Christopher* - was lucky enough to be chosen to take part in an iPhone 12 trial, and then it invites you - actually, it invites *Christopher* - to join in.”
The message prompts you to ‘prove’ your identity by giving you full name and address - information that the cybercriminals helpfully gave to you in the original text, making it easy to pass the ‘test.’
Mr Ducklin said: “You can guess what happens next. You end up on one of several different scam sites (we tried this smish repeatedly) where you find there's a courier delivery charge for the "free" phone, typically between £1 and £2.
“Then you end up on a credit card payment form that's hosted on what looks like a "special offers" website with a believable enough name, and with an HTTPS security padlock if you take the time to look.
“Of course, if you try to pay your modest delivery charge, you are simply handing over your personal data to the crooks, including your full card number and security code.”
Based on the findings, Sophos is urging anyone who receives the text to delete it immediately.
It's also important to note that Apple is particularly secretive about its iPhone launches, and given that it hasn't even announced the iPhone 12 yet, any 'trials' are likely a scam.
