Here’s a scam mail which claims your iCloud has been accessed without permission, and will be locked within 2 hours if you don’t verify the account by sending $112 to a Bitcoin address.
The missive claims to be from SERVICE@FBI.gov and is titled, “Virus Warning: E-Mail from ‘FBI Alert”.
As you might expect, it’s rather all over the place, lurching from random mentions of virus warnings and fraudulent access, to a cavalcade of typo-ridden howlers:
Virus Warning: E-mail from ‘FBI Alert’Apple has detected an unauthorized sign-in to your iClodu [sic] account.
Please verify your account by sending 112$ to this Bitcoin address:
If no response is received your account will be locked for security.
The server will lock yor [sic] account within 2 hours if we don’t receive the payment!
We are working to create a world where privacy is the norm, end-to-end encryption is the standard, and security and usability are synonymous.
FBI and iCloud is selling a tool for iCloud protection against hackers and scammers this tool costs only 112$
the license for our tool is 360 days
if you are not familiar with bitcoin you can buy it from here:
coinbase(dot)com bitstamp(dot)net localbitcoin(dot)com
After we confirm the payment, we send the private key so you can unlock your email and download our tool
FBI SECURIRY [sic] iCloud and Apple Protection
Well, if you want to secure your iCloud I guess the right people for the job are definitely FBI Security…maybe?
The email definitely goes right off the rails at the end with random mentions of a “tool” designed to protect your iCloud from hackers, which also just happens to cost the same amount as the supposed verification fee. This is most definitely the “throw it all at a wall, see what sticks” approach but I’m not convinced it’ll be as successful as the scammers would like it to be. Should you receive any missives from the “FBI” regarding the safety of your iCloud account, feel free to send it to the trash. Elsewhere, you can visit the Apple website and find out everything you need to know about locking down your iCloud.
Christopher Boyd (Thanks Steven)
