Apple users who have received email messages like the one below, claiming that their Apple iTunes accounts have been frozen and they need to click on the link within them in order to validate their accounts, should delete the email messages and not follow the instructions in them. This is because the email messages are phishing scams sent by cybercriminals. The fake email messages are a scare tactic used by cybercriminals to frighten iTunes users into clicking on the phishing link in the same email messages, which go to a fake Apple iTunes website created by cybercriminals to steal the user ID and password of anyone who attempts to sign into it.
An “iTunes Account Frozen” Phishing Email Scam
Subject: ITunes account frozen. Issue #174928
Dear iTυnes Cυstοmer, This is an automatic message sent by our security system to let you know that you have 24 hours to confirm your account information. Your iTunes account has been frozen because we are unable to validate your account information. Once you have updated your account records, we will try again to validate your information and your account suspension will be lifted. This will help protect your account in the future. This process does not take more than 3 minutes. To proceed to confirm your account details please click on the link below and follow the instructions. Click Here Validate Your Account.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Your sincerely,
Apple Security Department
Once Apple user IDs and passwords of potential victims’ Apple accounts have been stolen by cybercriminals, the cybercrooks will use the stolen information to gain access to the potential victims’ accounts and use them fraudulently. Therefore, Apple users who have been tricked by the fake email messages are asked to change their Apple account passwords immediately, and check their accounts for purchases and other discrepancies.
Apple users are advised never to click on a link to sign into their accounts; they should always go directly to Apple legitimate website located at https://appleid.apple.com and sign-in from there instead. Once they have signed in, important messages or notifications will be shown to them, if there are any.