Apple users, beware. Hot on the heels of recent scams, a new scheme is targeting MacBook users seeking AppleCare+ support. Scammers are using Google ads to trick people into visiting fake support sites, pretending to be Apple representatives to steal personal information or money.
The scam begins when users search for Apple support online. Instead of legitimate Apple contact information, they are lured to fraudulent websites hosted on GitHub, which appear at the top of search results because of Google’s sponsored ads.
Let us learn how scammers are now exploiting Google ads to deceive users by creating fake Apple support links that closely mimic Apple’s branding. When users search for AppleCare+ support, they may unknowingly click on these fraudulent ads, which appear legitimate at first glance. These fake links lead to convincing websites that look like official Apple pages. Once on the site, users are prompted to call a toll-free number, where scammers posing as Apple representatives are waiting. Once users make a call on this toll-free number, these scammers use clever techniques of social engineering and make them reveal their personal information or make some transactions, which leads to huge losses.
Take the example of a victim who might be told their account is at risk of being frozen, and they are advised to withdraw money from their bank to send to the “support team” for safety. In other cases, scammers might ask for personal details like social security numbers, which would ultimately result in identity theft.
A sneaky trick on these fake websites uses an “autoDial” feature that automatically opens the phone dialer when victims click the link, making it easier for scammers to trap them.
Even though GitHub has responded by removing such malicious pages, the threat remains because creating a new account is very simple. This scam illustrates how cybercriminals can manipulate well-known worthy platforms such as Google and GitHub to deceive users and steal their money.
The incident sheds light on the fact that we need to be extra cautious and take proactive measures to maintain a safe online presence. Always double-check that you are on Apple’s official website before contacting them for support, especially if you are using search engines like Google. It is not uncommon for scammers to create bogus pages that look closely like the genuine ones, so pause and take an extra moment to ensure the web address begins with “apple.com” and avoid clicking on ads at the top of search results. If in doubt, go directly to Apple’s website by typing the address into your browser instead of relying on search links.
This small step can help you avoid falling into phishing traps, which can be disastrous. As the Chinese proverb wisely says, “It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.”
