Scammers and spammers everywhere are rubbing their hands in gleeful anticipation. For the next few weeks, it’s practically Christmas for them. Why? Because Apple are preparing to release their latest model of iPhone.
The iPhone 7 (at the time of writing the name hasn’t actually been confirmed, it may be the iPhone 6se) is to be unveiled at Apple’s product launch during the first week of September. If previous years are anything to go by, the phone will be available to the public a few weeks after.
Despite the controversial omission of any headphone jack, the device is expected to be a best seller. In fact every time Apple release a new iPhone model they’re in unprecedented high demand, and that’s exactly why scammers love this time of the year. iPhone’s are the perfect bait for any number of different Internet scams.
So what iPhone 7 scams can we expect to see soon?
At the top of the list we have the inevitable surge of Facebook posts purporting to offer free iPhone 7’s to all those who share a Facebook post onto their timeline and like a Facebook page.
Basically, very typical like-farming where spammers are luring you to following spammy Facebook pages so they can bombard you with spam. Also expect these like-farming posts to contain links to spammy marketing webpages that want all your personal information.
There may be legitimate promotions online offering iPhone 7’s, but they won’t be coming from unverified Facebook pages and they won’t ask you to share links onto your Facebook timeline. They also won’t be directed you to spammy questionnaires or surveys, so keep an eye out for these schemes. There will be many.
Learn more about fake Facebook giveaways via this link.
Spammy ads or pop-ups are notorious for the classic bait-and-switch scam, and since the iPhone 7 is the perfect bait, expect to see lots of ads or spammy links floating around cyberspace purporting to provide a way to get you the latest iPhone for an impossibly low price, usually $1.
This is bait-and-switch. This impossible deal doesn’t exist, but it’s enough to pique your interest and get you clicking. Now you’re on some spammy marketing webpage offering some other kind of deal (the switch) as long as you sign up to some subscription service and give away all your personal information.
If it appears too good to be true, it usually is. We discuss bait-and-switch scams here.
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This piece of advice should resonate regardless of what you purchase online – only buy from reputable, trustworthy outlets.
If you’re getting the latest iPhone, then get it from your nearest Apple store. What you should never do is trust some unknown website in some dark corner of the Internet purporting to offer the phone for half the price. These sites generally won’t ship the phone, or if they do send you something, it’ll probably be counterfeit.
NEVER buy from websites you don’t trust. NEVER buy from sites that only accept payment via services like Western Union or MoneyGram. And ALWAYS remember that if it seems too good a price, it is.
Similar to the point above, be careful when purchasing the latest iPhone from sites like eBay, Gumtree or other public listing websites. Any number of scams can be initiated through these websites, so always follow the buyers advice these sites will offer, and don’t take any risks. It’s not worth it.