Latest news with #Cristescu
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Newsweek
Man Has iPhone Stolen, Unprepared for the Text He Then Gets From Thief
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A man's response to a text message he received from the person or group who had stolen his iPhone has been applauded by viewers on Reddit. In the post shared on May 6 under u/xandoline, which has since garnered more than 50,000 upvotes, the man shared a screenshot of the alarming text message he received shortly after the theft. It was designed to appear as an official notification from Apple, warning him about suspicious activity on his account. The message read: "Your Apple ID is used to sign into iCloud on the iPhone you were using before, and you are modifying your Apple Pay information. If this is not done by you, please go to your Apple ID or use 'Find My' App to remove the device from your account to unlink it." The text message was signed off as "Apple Support." To the untrained eye, the phishing message might appear legitimate, but the man saw through it. His response, also captured in the screenshot, made his position clear: "I will keep this phone connected so you can never use it." While it is unknown whether the stolen phone was ever recovered, the exchange offers a sharp reminder of how digital fraud often follows physical theft. The message—likely an attempt to lure the man into relinquishing control of his Apple ID—demonstrates the multi-layered threats phone theft victims now face. In response to the incident, Newsweek reached out to Vlad Cristescu, head of cybersecurity at ZeroBounce, a software firm in California. Cristescu said these types of phishing attempts are increasingly common and underscored the need for both immediate action and long-term digital hygiene. "Getting your iPhone stolen or losing it is a nightmare," Cristescu told Newsweek. "But preparing what to do right away, and a few things to do in advance, can save you from a monster headache." Cristescu provided a series of steps every iPhone owner should take the moment they realize their phone is gone. 1. Launch "Find My iPhone" immediately. Using another device or users should mark the phone as lost to lock it and optionally display a custom message with contact information. If the device is still online, it can be tracked or made to play a sound. 2. Call your carrier. Alerting your service provider can stop unauthorized usage and prevent potential charges or identity theft via the SIM card. 3. Change passwords. Begin with the Apple ID, then move on to email, banking, and social media accounts. 4. Wipe the phone remotely. If recovery seems unlikely, the "Erase iPhone" feature in Find My iPhone can protect your data while keeping Activation Lock intact to prevent reuse. 5. File a police report. While it may not guarantee recovery, it supports insurance claims and increases the chance of retrieval. Cristescu also advised iPhone users to take preventive steps before their devices ever go missing. These include enabling "Find my iPhone," using strong passwords and turning on automatic iCloud backups. "You can't stop all thefts, but with a few smart tricks, you can keep your data in your hands, and make it more difficult for the bad guys," the cybersecurity specialist said. The Reddit post may have gone viral because of the man's sassy response, but its lesson is rooted in a very real concern as figures from the Federal Communications Commission report that one in 10 smartphone owners in the U.S. have been victims of phone theft. Newsweek reached out to u/xandoline for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case. A stock image of a man logging into a Smartphone. A stock image of a man logging into a Smartphone. Getty Images Do you have a monetary dilemma? Let us know via life@ We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Ways To Avoid the New PayPal Scam That Is Using Real Emails
There's a new sophisticated PayPal scam draining the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims. Hackers are ambushing users of the platform in a tricky way that seems so legit, it's not sending off alarm bells until it's too late.'The new scam going around is catching people off guard because it's using real PayPal emails,' said Vlad Cristescu, head of cybersecurity at ZeroBounce. 'Not lookalikes. Not fakes. Actual messages, from what looks like PayPal's real system.' For You: Try This: Scammers are outsmarting PayPal's automated email delivery system and its working. 'They're sending invoices or purchase confirmations through PayPal's official platform. That means the email doesn't come from a weird address. It comes from service@ — the real deal,' Cristescu explained.'The email may say something like: 'You've just paid $749 for a MacBook. If this wasn't you, call this number.' And that's where the trap is,' he added. 'You call the number, hoping to cancel the transaction — but instead, you're talking to the scammer, not the scam is fooling people, there are ways to avoid it. Here's what to know about the scam and how to protect yourself, according to cybersecurity experts. For more than 25 years, PayPal has been at the forefront of digital payments. The service was launched in 1998 and has been around much longer than Venmo and Zelle, becoming a trusted brand many rely on and use daily, which also makes it a target. 'Scammers are now using PayPal's own system to trick people. They send what looks like a real payment request to PayPal users, mostly via email,' said Abhishek Karnik, head of threat research for McAfee, an online protection company. Read Next: It's not easy to spot at first because the messages comes from PayPal's domain and itgets past scam filters Karnik said. 'These messages may even include the name of a well-known company, along with a phone number to call if you didn't make the purchase. But that number connects you to the scammer, not PayPal,' he added. It's always scary to feel like you could lose your hard earned money, but times are especially tough right now and people are watching every dime. The scammers are banking on victims desperately trying to stop a transaction they didn't purchase, but instead people are inadvertently getting cheated.'It preys on people's fear of losing money and feels urgent; scammers count on fear and urgency to cloud your judgment, knowing that many people will call or click before taking time to think it through,' Karnik explained. One way to avoid the new PayPal scam is to not engage, according to Karnik. 'Don't engage with messages that feel urgent or alarming, especially if they say you've been charged or need to act fast,' he said.'That pressure is exactly what scammers are counting on,' he added. 'Instead, take a breath, slow down and go straight to the source before clicking or calling.' Before handing over sensitive information to anyone over the phone, Cristescu advised to check your PayPal account first. 'Never trust what an email says at face value, especially when it involves money,' he said. 'Instead of clicking a link or calling a number, go to directly. Once you're logged in, you can check if the invoice or payment is really there. No invoice in your account? Then the email is just a scare tactic. To add a layer of security to your account, add a two-factor authentication (2FA). 'Even if someone tries to mess with your account, they can't log in without a second security step (usually a code sent to your phone),' Cristescu explained. '2FA adds a double lock to your account. It makes unauthorized access way harder.''If someone gets your password, they still can't access your account without a code sent to your phone or authenticator,' Karnik added. If Paypal is a service you often use, Cristescu recommended understanding how the platform communicates with customers. 'PayPal doesn't use invoices to settle disputes,' he explained. 'They won't ask you to call out of the blue. They don't throw around panic buttons like 'Call now or your money is gone.' Knowing what real communication looks like makes it easier to spot a scam when one lands in your inbox.' Experts warn against calling numbers in an email you received because you never know who is going to be on the other end.'The phone number in the email is the whole point of the scam,' Cristescu said. 'If you call it, you're giving the scammer direct access to influence you and maybe even manipulate you into installing software, sharing passwords or 'canceling' payments that were never real. Use only official PayPal contact methods found on their site or in their app.''Scammers often create fake customer service lines to trick people into calling them directly,' Karnik added. Getting an urgent email informing you that a transaction was made that you didn't authorize is jarring and taking quick steps to correct the issue is a normal first response, but Karnik doesn't recommend jumping into action so fast. 'You should slow down, expect the unexpected and trust your gut,' he explained. 'If something feels off or you receive a message requesting payment for a purchase you don't remember making, go straight to PayPal's website, log in and check things for yourself — and remember that you should only use the contact info you find there, not the one in the email.' More From GOBankingRates 6 Used Luxury SUVs That Are a Good Investment for Retirees4 Affordable Car Brands You Won't Regret Buying in 20257 Overpriced Grocery Items Frugal People Should Quit Buying in 20255 Types of Vehicles Retirees Should Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on 5 Ways To Avoid the New PayPal Scam That Is Using Real Emails
