Beware – iPhone 5 Phishing Email Circulates

By Gilbert Falso :: 8:50 PM

Did you get an e-mail in your inbox today from Apple alerting you to the availability of the new iPhone 5? Don’t open it or click the links in it – it’s a hoax!

Someone has created a very clever and believable scam e-mail that claims the iPhone 5 is ready to order. Most have gone out with the subject line of  “iPhone 5G S has been released” and contain a realistic looking message like the one below.

According to antivirus and security firm Sophos, “Clicking on links in the email takes you to some Windows malware (lucky Mac fans are being ignored by the hackers on this occasion) which Sophos detects as Mal/Zapchas-A.”

Similar phishing attempts happened earlier in the year, with hackers portraying the new iPhone model as having a slide-out keyboard.

The Mal/Zapchas virus renders a victim’s computer vulnerable to remote takeover and attack. It can be fixed by running most any up-to-date virus protection program.