Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General's Office has warned citizens about new scams involving the placing and canceling of preorders for Apple's iPhone 18 smartphone. Fraudsters are exploiting users' heightened interest in the new model by sending fake messages and enticing offers, the website infohub.kz reports.
In the first scheme, scammers send a fake message purporting to come from Apple claiming that an iPhone 18 preorder has already been placed. To cancel the purchase, the recipient is told to call a "support service." However, the number provided leads directly to the fraudsters, who, under the pretext of canceling the order, try to extract confidential data and persuade the person to follow their instructions.
In the second case, users are offered the chance to reserve the smartphone at an attractive price with a guarantee of fast delivery. The link for placing the order leads to a fake website that asks for bank card details, passwords and other confidential information. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the information obtained may be used to access accounts and banking services, as well as to steal funds. The scammers' main trick is to make the person act in haste — to panic over an unfamiliar order or fear missing out on a good deal.
To protect themselves, the Prosecutor General's Office recommends that people not follow links or call numbers from suspicious notifications; not disclose passwords, PIN codes, bank card CVV codes or SMS confirmation codes; not install apps or grant access to their device at the request of strangers; not make advance payments until they have verified the authenticity of the website and the reliability of the seller; and check order information through the seller's official website or app, opening them independently.
If you have already shared your card details or noticed a suspicious charge, you must immediately contact your bank, block the card and report the incident to the police.