For a while you have been getting messages from Apple saying “your iCloud storage is full.” They say you have exceeded your storage plan, so documents are no longer being backed up, and photos you take are not being uploaded.
You have been resisting Apple’s efforts to get you to pay a minimum of ￡0.99 (US$1.33) a month for more storage, but it seems that you cannot keep putting off the inevitable: You have received an e-mail which says your iCloud account has been blocked, and your photos and videos would be deleted very soon. To keep them you need to upgrade immediately, it says.
The next day you get another e-mail saying that as you have not responded, if you do not take action, all your data would be wiped on the stated date.
Photo: Reuters
The e-mails include a button you can click on to upgrade your iCloud storage, but the threatening messages are a scam impersonating Apple’s iCloud service, and the criminals behind them are trying to convince you to click on a malicious link.
The link would take you through to something that might look genuine, but is in fact a phishing Web site designed to harvest people’s bank and personal details.
If you provide your bank details or make a payment, the crooks might then attempt to steal money or sell your details to other criminals on the “dark Web.”
This con might appear convincing, because the scam e-mails can coincide with genuine messages from Apple saying you have run out of storage and urging you to upgrade.
“Every Apple user needs to know about this nasty scam doing the rounds,” the UK consumer body Which? said in a recent Facebook post warning of the fraud.
There are lots of variations of this scam. One e-mail seen by the Guardian says in the subject line: “We’ve blocked your account! Your photos and videos will be deleted on [date].” It is headlined “iCloud Storage Alert” and goes on to say: “Storage limit reached ... your iCloud account has reached its maximum storage capacity.”
“Your payment method has expired... Your cloud service has been disabled,” another says.
Some of the scam e-mails are slightly less scary-looking — for example, one headlined: “Payment failed for your Cloud storage renewal.”
In pretty much all cases there is a button you can click on to “update” your payment method or “manage” your storage.
If you do not respond, the scammers might try to turn the screw by sending a “final warning” e-mail. One has this subject line: “We have tried to contact you several times before, but we have not received any response. If you have not resolved your issue today, all your data will be completely deleted on [date], including your photos and videos.”
As is frequently the case with scams, the e-mail address of the sender often looks a bit “off.” Perhaps the domain (the part of an e-mail address that comes after the @ symbol) looks wrong. Some mention Ecuador or have “.biz.ua” in the domain — the latter generally refers to Ukrainian business-related domains — while Apple is based in California and its European headquarters is in Ireland.
The other giveaway is poor spelling and grammar. One e-mail is headlined: “Your account may expires today.”
Bin or ignore these e-mails, and do not click on any links. If you do click on a link, do not share any personal details.
E-mails impersonating iCloud can be sent to reportphishing@apple.com or abuse@icloud.com.
If you do hand over your account details, contact your bank once you realize your mistake.
It is very easy to check the amount of iCloud storage that you have left manually. On an iPhone, simply go to Settings, then iCloud.
If your storage is full and you want to buy more, simply click on the “Upgrade” button, and the genuine Apple would be delighted to take your cash.
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