Apple has just warned of a new scam targeting millions of iPhone users and revealed how to protect yourself

Apple users have been issued a warning of a new scam targeting millions of iPhone users as the tech giant revealed how they should protect themselves.

The worrying new con is not some ultra-complex bit of code hidden inside your device, but a panic-inducing social engineering trick designed to make people hand over their money and personal details.

It reportedly starts with an official-looking message about suspicious Apple Pay activity or a locked account, before pushing victims to call a phone number that connects them to a scammer instead of real support.

And once that sense of urgency kicks in, things can spiral fast.

Apple has just warned of a new scam

What makes this particular tech scam especially sneaky is how ordinary it looks at first glance.

Instead of trying to hack an iPhone directly, scammers are trying to hack the person using it.

A text or email lands out of nowhere, warns that something serious has happened to your Apple account or Apple Pay, and then encourages you to act immediately.

That is exactly the moment they want people to stop thinking clearly.

From there, victims may be pushed into calling a fake support line, sharing passwords or verification codes, or even moving money around to ‘keep it safe’.

In some cases, people have reportedly been persuaded to withdraw huge amounts of cash because they believed they were protecting their accounts.

It is a clever scam because it plays on fear, speed, and trust in the Apple name.

How to protect yourself immediately

Apple’s advice is refreshingly easy: leave it alone.

Simple.

The company says it will never ask users to log in through a random website, tap ‘Accept’ on a two-factor authentication pop-up for verification, hand over a password, reveal a device passcode, or share a security code.

It also says it will never ask users to disable protections like Two-Factor Authentication or Stolen Device Protection.

So if a message on your iPhone asks you to do any of that, alarm bells should be ringing.

The biggest red flags are unexpected messages about Apple Pay, phone numbers included in texts, pressure to act immediately, and anyone asking for passwords, codes, or personal details.

The safest move is to avoid clicking links, avoid calling any number in the message, and instead check your account through Apple’s official channels.

In other words, the smartest thing you can do with this new scam is absolutely nothing at all.