For a while you’ve been getting messages from Apple saying “your iCloud storage is full”. They say you have exceeded your storage plan, so documents are no longer being backed up, and photos you take aren’t being uploaded.
You have been resisting Apple’s efforts to get you to pay a minimum of 99p a month for more storage. But it seems that you can’t keep putting off the inevitable: you have received an email which says your iCloud account has been blockedand your photos and videos will be deleted very soon. To keep them you need to upgrade immediately, it says.
The next day you get another email saying that as you have not responded, if you do not take action, all your data will be wiped on the stated date.
The emails include a button you can click on to upgrade your iCloud storage. But the threatening messages are a scam impersonating Apple’s iCloud service, and the criminals behind them are trying to convince you to click on a malicious link.
The link would take you through to something that might look genuine but is in fact a phishing website, designed to harvest people’s bank and personal details.
If you provide your bank details or make a payment, the crooks may then attempt to steal (more) money or sell your details to other criminals on the “dark web”.
This con may appear convincing because the scam emails can coincide with genuine messages from Apple saying you have run out of storage and urging you to upgrade.
“Every Apple user needs to know about this nasty scam doing the rounds,” says the UK consumer body Which? in a recent Facebook post warning of the fraud.
What it looks like
There are lots of variations of this scam. One email seen by the Guardian says in the subject line: “We’ve blocked your account! Your photos and videos will be deleted on [date].” It is headlined “iCloud Storage Alert” and goes on to say: “Storage limit reached … your iCloud account has reached its maximum storage capacity.”
Another says: “Your payment method has expired!… Your cloud service has been disabled.”
Some of the scam emails are slightly less scary-looking – for example, one headlined “Payment failed for your Cloud storage renewal”.
In pretty much all cases there is a button you can click on to “update” your payment method or “manage” your storage.
If you do not respond, the scammers may try to turn the screw by sending a “final warning” email. One that the Guardian has seen has this subject line: “We have tried to contact you several times before, but we have not received any response. If you have not resolved your issue today, all your data will be completely deleted on [date], including your photos and videos.”
As is frequently the case with scams, the email address of the sender often looks a bit “off”. Perhaps the domain (the part of an email address that comes after the @ symbol) looks wrong. Some mention Ecuador or have “.biz.ua” in the domain – the latter generally refers to Ukrainian business-related domains – while Apple is based in California and its European HQ is in Ireland.
The other giveaway is poor spelling and grammar. One email we saw was headlined “Your account may expires today”.
What to do
Bin or ignore these emails, and do not click on any links. If you do click on a link, do not share any personal details.
Scam emails can be reported by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk, and emails impersonating iCloud can be sent to reportphishing@apple.com and/or abuse@icloud.com.
When we approached Apple, it directed us to a webpage that includes information on to avoid scams that target your account and devices.
If you do hand over your account details, contact your bank once you realise your mistake.
It’s very easy to check the amount of iCloud storage that you have left manually. On an iPhone, simply go to Settings, then iCloud.
If your storage is full and you want to buy more, simply click on the “Upgrade” button, and the genuine Apple will be delighted to take your cash.