Kaspersky Finds Scams During IPhone 17 Launch

Illustration of the iPhone (photo: Kaspersky)

JAKARTA - When Apple opened pre-orders for their new iPhone, the iPhone 17, Kaspersky series detected a surge in fraud that took advantage of the device's launch euphoria.

Fraudsters use fake websites, fake lotterys, and fake "tester" opportunity schemes to collect personal data and financial information. These attacks pose significant risks, including personal data theft and financial losses.

Based on Kaspersky's findings, one of the scams involved a fake website impersonating Apple's official store, captivated users with pre-ordering the iPhone 17 "before it sold out", then stole the details of the bank card at the time of payment.

Fraudsters also run fake lotterys that promise free iPhone devices as gifts, by requiring participants to take a survey, submit personal information (email address, phone number, etc.), and pay delivery fees or service fees.

Not only that, the global cybersecurity company also found a fake feedback panel showing users claiming and testing to have received their "gifts".

There is also a "tester" opportunity ad scam for the iPhone 17, by luring users with technology to provide contact details and delivery addresses, as well as paying for delivery fees, but in the end the iPhone was never delivered and resulted in a sustainable excess of spam or phishing.

"Cyber criminals take advantage of the excitement of launching large products, turning consumer enthusiasm into a gateway for data breaches," said Tatyana Shcherbakova, Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.

To be protected from a new wave of fraud related to this iPhone, Kaspersky advises users: