Over $1.2m lost to scams involving courier firms and Apple’s iMessage
More than $1.2 million has been lost to scams involving courier firms and Apple's iMessage since June 24, with at least 251 cases reported. Scammers impersonate courier firms using Apple iMessage to trick victims into paying fake re-delivery fees.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Scammers impersonate courier firms using Apple iMessage to trick victims into paying fake re-delivery fees, resulting in over $1.2 million lost since June 24 across at least 251 reported cases. Victims are advised to enable spam filters and report suspicious messages.
Scammers are using Apple's iMessage to trick people into paying fake re-delivery fees for packages. They send messages that look like they're from real courier companies, but are actually fake. If you get a message like this, don't click on the link or enter your personal info. Report it to the police instead.
Analysis
A $1.2M Scam: How Scammers Use Apple's iMessage to Trick Victims
Scammers have been impersonating courier firms using Apple's iMessage to trick victims into paying fake re-delivery fees, resulting in over $1.2 million lost since June 24 across at least 251 reported cases. The scammers send messages to victims, claiming that their parcels could not be delivered due to an invalid address. They then ask victims to update their delivery address through a link that resembles the courier's genuine URL. Upon clicking on the link, victims are directed to a fake website that looks like the courier company's official page, where they are prompted to pay a 're-delivery fee'.
The police have warned that courier companies rarely use iMessage to contact their customers. They typically communicate through messages sent via their registered SenderIDs, which the public can verify at https://smsregistry.sg/web/sid-query. The police have also advised the public to turn on 'Filter Unknown Senders' and 'Filter Spam' in their iMessage settings and to report suspicious messages using the in-app reporting function.
How Scammers Use Fake Websites to Trick Victims
The scammers use fake websites that look like the courier company's official page to trick victims into paying fake re-delivery fees. The websites are designed to look like the real thing, with the same logo and layout as the courier company's website. However, they are actually fake websites designed to steal victims' personal and banking information. Upon clicking on the link, victims are prompted to enter their credit card and internet banking credentials, and authorise the transaction with their digital tokens.
The Police's Warning
The police have warned that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods. They are using fake websites and iMessage to trick victims into paying fake re-delivery fees. The police have advised the public to be vigilant and to report any suspicious messages to the authorities. They have also advised the public to turn on 'Filter Unknown Senders' and 'Filter Spam' in their iMessage settings and to report suspicious messages using the in-app reporting function.
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
To protect yourself from these scams, you can take the following steps:
- Turn on 'Filter Unknown Senders' and 'Filter Spam' in your iMessage settings.
- Report suspicious messages using the in-app reporting function.
- Verify contacts via official channels.
- Do not click on links from unknown senders.
- Do not enter your personal and banking information on fake websites.
- Report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
Key points
- Over $1.2 million has been lost to scams involving courier firms and Apple's iMessage since June 24.
- Scammers impersonate courier firms using Apple iMessage to trick victims into paying fake re-delivery fees.
- Victims are advised to enable spam filters and report suspicious messages.
- Courier companies rarely use iMessage to contact their customers.
- The police have warned that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods.
If people are vigilant and report suspicious messages, the number of scams can be reduced, and victims can be protected from losing their money.
If people are not vigilant and continue to fall for these scams, the number of victims can increase, and the scammers can continue to steal people's money.
