You can never tell people to watch what they click enough, and as a general rule it’s safe to assume that anything that seems too good to be true online usually is. The danger, of course, is not just that you won’t receive the incredible deal or discount that you’ve been offered, but that it will lead to your financial and personal information being severely compromised.
A new email scam targeting Apple Store customers is doing just that – extracting tons of personal information from people. And the real kickers is that it gets people to give up that information willingly.
The email says that it comes directly from the Apple Store, and offers the recipient an amazing deal: a $100 (AU) gift card for just 9$ – just for their loyalty. Wow!
Of course, no such deal really exists. Here’s the full transcript from the scam email:
Dear Apple Customer,
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/ .
To acquire your Apple Discount Card please download and complete the attached form.
100 AU$ Credit Bonus
( You will receive your Apple Discount Card via e-mail in the following 24 hours after your payment has been made.)
It appears to be only targeting Australian users right now, but of course could leak into the inbox of other users anytime.
The email comes with an attachment that prompts users to fill out a long information form to collect their reward. This form includes information like the user’s address, driver’s license, mother’s maiden name, credit card numbers, and more. Basically, it’s everything a criminal would need for full-on identity theft.
This scam falls in a long line of similar scams where users are tricked into willfully throwing their information to the wolves. As always, be vigilant.
[via Sophos Naked Security]