Unsurprisingly, the launch of the iPhone 5s has had seen people queuing outside Apple stores for hours upon end in the hope they will be one of the first to get a new Apple device. Apple aficionados do get excited about the launch of a new device, and the Apple iPhone 5s is no exception. The company has reportedly sold 2 million units, and that was in the first 24 hours after the release.

Interest in the devices has been so high that buying a new iPhone 5s means a long wait is required. Many early purchasers will have to wait a number of weeks before their new phone is delivered. Apple couldn’t make enough available for the launch. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are taking advantage and have launched a number of iPhone 5 phishing scams.

Many iPhone 5 phishing scams have now been launched

Cybercriminals also love Apple devices. In particular, the launch of a new Apple device. They take advantage of the hysteria and send huge volumes of spam and phishing emails to would-be purchasers, advising of special offers and discounts, must read information about the new device, and news of fake competitions. In the run up to the launch we have seen many new email scams aimed at Apple fans. Scammers have used the media hype surrounding the iPhone 5 launch to their advantage.

Apple knows how to launch a new product. Few companies do it better in fact. In the run up to the launch, only a limited amount of information on the device was issued. Just enough to get Apple fans salivating. As the launch date drew closer, more information was released. They built interest in their product, anticipation was high, and when the launch date arrived, the product sold by the million.

Scammers take advantage of the anticipation, supply shortages, and long wait times. Spam email campaigns have accompanied the launch of this year’s hottest new product, with a number of spam and phishing emails already captured by SpamTitan’s spam and web filtering software. Some of the iPhone 5 phishing scams include:

  • Fake delivery notifications
  • Phishing websites set up to coincide with the iPhone launch
  • Fake special offers and discounts on the new iPhone 5s
  • Bogus competitions to win a new iPhone

We are expecting many more over the coming weeks.

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Not everyone is good at identifying a phishing email

If you are in charge of your company’s email security, or if you work in an IT department, you will probably have a very good understanding of spam and phishing emails and can probably identify even the most convincing campaign. Unfortunately, the same probably cannot be said of the end users in your company, many of whom will be so excited about the launch that they will click any email link about the new device.

There is a high risk of end users clicking on links to websites containing malware and of opening infected attachments. It is therefore a time to be ultra-cautious. If one employee falls for a scam, it will not just be their computer that is infected. They may inadvertently compromise your network.

In order to address the risk, employees must be warned about the new scams and training should be provided to make sure they know how to recognize spam, phishing emails and iPhone scams. Even if training has already been provided, it is a good time to send out some refresher emails. You may even want to test their knowledge and send out spoof phishing emails to find out just how many people click the links. This is the best way to determine if your training has been effective, and which employees need some extra tuition.

Have you fallen for one of the iPhone 5 phishing scams? Have you identified any new iPhone 5 phishing scams? Please let us know!