MobileMe Phishing E-mails Hitting Apple Users

According to a news report published in TUAW on May 18, 2009, many citizens of the USA have complained about receiving phishing e-mails in connection with Apple's MobileMe, a package of online services offered by the software company.

The e-mail appears astonishingly official as it states that the yearly subscription of MobileMe users would be automatically renewed on May 15, 2009, but efforts to debit users' payment cards have resulted in failure.

Moreover, the e-mail states that if users don't want any interruption in the services, they should update personal information, especially their payment card number. The e-mail provides a "Log In" link that asks for the user's login particulars after diverting recipients to a phishing site.

The fake e-mail even admonishes that if users fail to update their payment card details, then only their e-mail service would be available while the remaining services would be withdrawn within the next 15 days.

However, the MobileMe officials cautioned users to avoid clicking on any link within an e-mail that solicits for financial or other personal information since that would definitely lead to falling victim of a phishing fraud. But in case a subscriber receives a message of this type, he should directly update his billing information by accessing the MobileMe account, if updating is really needed, but do not hit on the link.

The security specialists have said that the reason for targeting Apple is that users of Apple have great faith in the company. Consequently, an e-mail scam aimed at MobileMe subscribers could fool a large number of users into divulging their payment card and/or other private details.

The specialists also noted that a few different instances of phishing schemes using similar trick went around previously also. For instance - in 2008, CardCops (a company for identity protection) claimed that many individuals were defrauded using a bogus mac.com in just one day.

Besides, similar to the current phishing scam, another one had circulated during February 2009 that targeted consumers using Apple's online facilities. The fraudulent e-mail asked for personal information as a supposed billing mistake had happened while the annual subscription was being renewed.

Related article: MobileMe Again Hit by Phishing Scam

» SPAMfighter News - 5/29/2009