14 DAY TRIAL // Would you be willing to spend $9 (6.9 EUR) for an Apple Store gift card worth $100 (77 EUR)? If you were, we advise you to be careful when presented with such offers since they’re part of an intricate scheme.
“Apple is rewarding its long-term customers. Your loyalty for our products made you eligible for buying an Apple Discount Card. With this only 9 AU$ Discount Card you will have 100 AU$ credit at any Australian Apple Store or on http://www.apple.com/au,” the bogus offer reads.
“To acquire your Apple Discount Card please download and complete the attached form. (You will receive your Apple Discount Card via e-mail in the following 24 hours after your payment has been made.),” it continues.
The file attached to the email - Apple Discount - Complete this form to get your discount.html – contains a form which asks the victim to provide details such as name, address, date of birth, driver’s license, mother’s maiden name, credit card number, the card’s security code, and even the credit limit.
As researchers from Sophos highlight, the emails don’t come from Apple.
Furthermore, those who pay the $9 are actually handing over their most sensitive details to a group of cybercriminals that likely specializes in identity theft and other types of fraud.
Remember, Apple would never ask you to provide so many details in response to an email. Phishers will often send out well-designed notifications in an attempt to trick unsuspecting users into handing over private information.
Apple may be one of the most successful companies in the world, but they will surely not hand out gift cards, iPads or any other products without a good reason. Furthermore, they would never team up with Gmail or any other firm to run lotteries or other sweepstakes.