This week, Apple had their big Apple Watch release event, and the press is full of news about the models and pricing. Pundits are sprinkling their predictions about features and future sales. But they are not the only ones jumping on the bandwagon.
Cybercriminals are getting in the game. One example is a gang that set up a Twitter account named "Apple Giveaways", and began spamming out messages to random users, telling them they have been "chosen" and urging them to visit the site linked in the message.
The link leads them to an event page on Facebook, which instructs them to join the event, invite a minimum of 100 friends, and claim a free Apple Watch. It also asks them to enter their first and last name including their Facebook handle which allows the bad guys to spam all their friends.
There will inevitably be more phishing scams using the Apple Watch close to the April release so I would send your users something to this extent; feel free to copy and/or edit.
"Scam Alert: With the release of the new Apple Watch, cyber criminals are jumping on the bandwagon and are using email and social media to try to trick you into clicking on links, entering contests, or forward messages to your friends with false promises of a free watch. Don't fall for it. If you are interested in an Apple Watch, do not click on links in emails, do not click on ads or links in Facebook or Twitter, but but go to the website yourself. Remember, Think Before You Click !"
For existing KnowBe4 customers, we have a new template in Current Events called "claim your free apple watch" that we recommend sending to all your end-users to inoculate them against this type of phishing attack.
If you are not a customer yet, find out (at no cost) what your phishing attack surface is. We can scan the entire Internet for any of your email addresses that are out there that the bad guys can get their hands on. Request your free "Email Exposure Check" now and see your phishing attack surface.
Hat Tip to Malwarebytes' Chris Boyd
