Innocent iPhone owners should never break the ‘six sentence’ rule: it’s a costly mistake that could leave you with a hefty bill

Posted on August 16, 2024 by angelo

Innocent iPhone owners should never break the ‘six sentence’ rule: it’s a costly mistake that could leave you with a hefty bill

Tech support scams are becoming increasingly popular with hackers and cybercriminals.

One of the most common types of scams involves tricking iPhone owners into believing that their phone has already been hacked.

Hackers are becoming more sophisticated in their hacking attempts, leading some iPhone users to believe their device has already been hacked. — Hackers are becoming more sophisticated in their hacking attempts, leading some iPhone users to believe their device has already been hacked.Credit: Alamy

There are six key phrases that hackers use when trying to trick iPhone users into clicking or downloading malware onto their phone, or giving up their personal information. — There are six key phrases that hackers use when trying to trick iPhone users into clicking or downloading malware onto their phone, or giving up their personal information.Credits: Getty

The best way to protect your iPhone is to ignore pop-ups or text messages that say your phone has been hacked.

Hackers often create these pop-up messages in the hopes that unsuspecting users will share private information, like their Apple ID and password.

Many pop-ups prompt users to click or download software to “protect” or “secure” their phones, allowing hackers to infect their phones with malware, spyware, or other types of viruses.

iPhone users should watch out for six key phrases that hackers use in their messages, including the following:

Install this app immediately
Personal information has been disclosed
Your device has been hacked
Immediate action is needed to avoid…
A virus has been detected
There are serious security breaches

Gone are the days when messages contained spelling mistakes or grammatical issues.

Instead, hackers have become more sophisticated over the years and have made their messages appear polished and professional.

Most pop-up and SMS scams also include a sense of urgency, using keywords such as “immediately” or “already.”

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Most of these pop-up messages also include a timer, counting down the number of seconds or minutes remaining to “remove a virus” or “protect your device.”

The goal is to incite fear and panic among iPhone users who receive the messages, and to prompt them to quickly try to “fix” the problem as quickly as possible.

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Many iPhone users will see these types of messages and without thinking, click or download the links provided in hopes of fixing the problem.

However, in such cases, hackers have already tricked you into doing their dirty work and are able to hack your device.

In some cases, hackers disguise their pop-up scams as software updates for your phone.

These scams look like the official iOS pop-ups that users receive when a new software update is ready to be downloaded.

PASSWORD RULES – DON’T BREAK THEM

Here are some important tips to follow, as revealed by Keeper Security…

Make sure to use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters. It is much easier to “crack” a password if it only uses lowercase letters.
Never include personal data such as your date of birth, your postal address and certainly not your name.
Make sure each password is at least 12 characters long. This will significantly increase the time it will take for a hacker to crack your login.
Include symbols whenever you can. Not all services allow this, but if you can add question marks, exclamation points, hash symbols, and slashes, your password will be much more secure.
Make sure to use varied and non-sequential numbers. So, instead of having 1234 at the end of your password, mix them up and use a random order.
Avoid using words found in the dictionary in your password if possible.

iPhone users who have automatic updates enabled should always avoid these types of messages.

Those who don’t should also be wary of such messages, but there is a way to check whether the pop-up is legitimately from Apple or a scam.

A good rule of thumb is to always check if your phone really needs a software update by following these steps:

Access settings
Click on General
Click on Software Update
If there is a new update, click “Update Now” or “Update Tonight”

While pop-up messages and SMS scams typically dominate the industry, tech support scams are also a common way for hackers to try to gain access to your information.

Some pop-up messages are disguised as software or security updates and are intended to trick unsuspecting iPhone users into quickly updating. "update" their device — Some pop-up messages are disguised as software or security updates and are intended to trick unsuspecting iPhone users into quickly “updating” their device.Credit: Keeper Security

Some iPhone users have reported seeing messages indicating that their iPhone has already been hacked and are being encouraged to "withdraw" the virus alone — Some iPhone users have reported seeing messages stating that their iPhone has already been hacked and are being encouraged to “remove” the virus themselves.Credit: Keeper Security

Some hackers even pose as Apple customer service or technical support agents, tricking users into disclosing their personal, account and payment information. — Some hackers even pose as Apple customer service or technical support agents, tricking users into disclosing their personal, account and payment information.Credit: Keeper Security

Hackers will pose as technical support agents and act as if they are Apple customer support agents.

They will contact unsuspecting users via text messages, phone calls or even emails.

Some users, believing they are speaking or chatting with an Apple representative, will disclose personal information.

This includes their Apple ID and password, home address, full name, or other key information, like payment methods connected to their Apple account.

This allows hackers to “take control” of your Apple account, including your iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and other Apple devices.

The best way to protect your iPhone from scams or hackers is to never click on pop-ups claiming that your iPhone has been hacked.

It is also recommended to ignore text messages and emails that say the same thing.

iPhone owners should also be cautious about clicking on unsolicited links or downloading attachments from unknown users or numbers.

Keeping your iPhone up to date, securing your Apple ID, creating a strong password, and enabling multi-factor authentication are also great ways to protect your device.

As hackers become more adept, it's becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary iPhone users to avoid scams, but there are still several key ways to keep your device secure. — As hackers become more adept, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary iPhone users to avoid scams, but there are still several key ways to keep your device secure.Credits: Getty

iPhone owners and users are encouraged to ignore pop-up messages on their phone, especially if they come from an unknown source, and contact Apple for assistance. — iPhone owners and users are encouraged to ignore pop-up messages on their phone, especially if they come from an unknown source, and contact Apple for assistance.Credits: AP