Apple is warning iPhone and iPad users that scammers are using FaceTime calls to trick them into handing over money and account details.
According to Apple, scammers pose as trusted organizations and use social engineering to convince people to hand over account credentials, security codes, and financial information.
Apple says a caller can fake its number entirely, a trick known as spoofing, so the incoming call looks like it comes from Apple or a bank even when it doesn’t. Scammers also tend to bring up private information early in the conversation, things like a home address, an employer, or sometimes a Social Security number, to sound credible.
Once trust is established, the scammer pushes for speed. Apple describes callers warning victims that hanging up and calling Apple back themselves won’t help, since the fraud will supposedly continue in the meantime. That claim is false, and it exists only to keep the victim on the line.
Some scammers go further and ask victims to turn off two-factor authentication (2FA) or Stolen Device Protection, framing it as necessary to stop an ongoing attack. In reality, disabling those features is what opens the door for the scammer, not what closes it.
“Apple will never ask you to log in to any website, or to tap Accept in the two-factor authentication dialog, or to provide your password, device passcode, or two-factor authentication code or to enter it into any website,” the company noted.
In one version of the scam, the caller claims someone broke into the victim’s iPhone or iCloud account, or made unauthorized charges using Apple Pay. They then offer to help stop the attacker or reverse the charges.
“If you’re suspicious about an unexpected message, call, or request for personal information, such as your email address, phone number, password, security code, or money, it’s safer to presume that it’s a scam — contact that company directly if you need to,” Apple said.
Apple’s advice sticks to pretty basic, well-known protection measures: don’t trust unexpected calls or texts, never share sensitive information with someone who contacts you first, and keep your iPhone updated to the latest iOS version.
The company also urges users who receive a suspicious FaceTime call from someone posing as a bank representative to take a screenshot of the call and send it to reportfacetimefraud@apple.com.
