In Russia intensified scammers who falsely block iPhone and iPad naive users, and then extort money for a password to unlock. The method of deceit is quite extraordinary. This was told by the online Life, contacted one of the affected users.
Last week, a Muscovite Kirill was rewritten in “Vkontakte”. Suddenly approached by a strange girl named Julia and, claiming to be a friend of a friend of Cyril, asked for help with iCloud. Friendly young man did not suspicious, except that said where Julia met his girlfriend. The answer is “courses” was completely satisfied.
The gist of the request of Julia was that she complained of problems with access to Apple ID and wrote to Cyril, that he sent her email and password on my iPhone 6s. The intruder politely maintained conversation, and at one point even pretended that she was from Cyril do not need anything. In the end, he reminded the girl, with what question she asked.
As soon as the young man came out of his Apple ID, entered the wrong data and logged, the iPhone 6s is stuck, and has actually turned into a brick: it turns on but gives an error when you try to enter their own data Apple ID. To call, to go online and use applications impossible.
Of course, Cyril then turned to a common friend: it turned out that Julia was added to her shortly before the first message about a problem with Apple ID. On any course they do not overlap.
On the same day, Kirill wrote with another account. Fraudsters are suggested to find on the wall of the user Andrei Andreyevich (now this page was frozen for violating the rules of “Vkontakte”) the email address that was entered at the request of Julia.
The initial amount of the ransom for the iPhone 6s was 8 000, but the intruders warned: with each passing day the amount will increase by 10%, so paying the ransom is more profitable immediately. Cyril went to the principle and refused: he was now trying to unlock iPhone in legal way. As you can see, the scheme was really put on stream.
Main question: why the iPhone remains locked?
It’s pretty simple, if you look at the situation from the other side. After entering the foreign data from the victims remained in the hands of the mobile account of another person. In theory, this iPhone may be stolen by, say, Cyril grabbed it from a passerby on the street and ran away. What to do passerby? Of course, to block access to information. Installed app Find my iPhone allows you to completely deprive the stolen gadget functionality. Will not help nor change the SIM card, no flashing, no any other action.
Apple this smartphone is considered as stolen: accordingly, to remove it with total lock, only the owner of the account Apple ID. In our case, is a fraud. Every day on the wall of Andrei Andreyevich, there is a list with three or four locked Apple gadgets. Even if we imagine that paying at least two of the revenue was from 10 000 rubles a day.
Second question: why Apple didn’t provide a script with such a fraud?
Provided. In the terms and conditions of iCloud (that is the agreement that nobody reads) there are points IV.A and V. B, (C), which expressly States that you can go to your device in the accounts of the third parties is impossible.
After communicate with official support for Kirill attackers (from another page) and offered a discount. First demanded five thousand, then four, then three. According to the Scam, in detail answered all questions of the victim, the discount associated with the suspension of activities and the transition to Android is a fraud. It is possible that the fraud will continue with the iPhone, but with other pages or even other social networks.
How to avoid this situation?
Important to remember that someone else’s Apple ID on your iPhone to enter forbidden — it is against the rules of the company. Never go in so-called “Shared accounts”, created in order to some people were able to use once purchased content from the App Store and iTunes. The original owner of the shared account can block any user of this ID is exactly the same as Cyril blocked.
If you become a victim of fraud, in any case not to transfer money: they can never unlock your device, but to ask for more money — this is a typical scenario. Find the box and check from your iPhone (with the date of purchase), note the IMEI of the phone, prepare to call the details of your Apple ID and that Apple ID, which you have made at the request of the scammers. In addition, you will need screenshots of correspondence with the scammers.
Contact official Apple support answer all questions. Your main task — to prove that you are a victim of fraud, and not a malicious violator of the license agreement.
To contact the police in such situations is useless: all fraudulent actions are carried out with fake accounts. Unfortunately, the pace of consideration of applications from Apple is low. Cyril said that will have to wait at least two months.
