IT Expert Vitaly Titarenko Warns: Fraudsters Pose as Employers to Steal Apple IDs
Russians currently seeking employment are being alerted to a sophisticated new fraudulent scheme. According to Vitaly Titarenko, a mobile device expert from Positive Technologies, cybercriminals are impersonating prospective employers to gain unauthorized access to victims` Apple IDs.
The IT specialist explained that the scammers typically initiate contact with the user via Telegram, extending an invitation for a job interview. Following a brief conversation, the candidate is informed they have been hired. However, they are told that a probation period requires installing a specific application designed to monitor work hours.
Subsequently, the fraudsters persuade the victim to log out of their personal Apple ID, disable any password protection, and log in using an alternative account, falsely claimed to belong to the employing company. Titarenko elaborated: “Immediately after the victim logs in, the device is remotely marked as lost using the Find My iPhone feature, and access to manage the Apple ID becomes blocked. The owner loses control of their smartphone and is presented with a message demanding a ransom payment.”
For those who unfortunately fall victim to this type of fraud, the expert strongly advises against paying the demanded ransom. Instead, he recommends contacting an official Apple service center. By providing evidence that their device was compromised by fraudsters, Apple staff can assist in unlinking the iPhone from the fraudulent Apple ID and restoring the device to its original factory settings.
To prevent becoming a target of this deception, Titarenko urged users never to log into an unfamiliar Apple ID account on their device. He also stressed the importance of never logging out of their own account simply because a third party requests it. Furthermore, the expert highlighted the critical need to enable the “Stolen Device Protection” feature on iPhones. “This feature mandates biometric authentication and imposes a 60-minute security delay before allowing changes to crucial settings, especially if the device is not in a location usually associated with the user,” he clarified. Additionally, if purchasing a used iPhone, the specialist concluded that performing a factory reset is absolutely essential.
This warning follows a previous alert about a different scam targeting Russians. That scheme involved fraudsters calling citizens` landlines, posing as employees of “Rostelecom,” and attempting to extract personal information under the false pretense of renewing service contracts.
