Bad Apples targeting victims in phishing scam

The Better Business Bureau says that an e-mail phishing scam is making the rounds, targeting consumers' Apple ID data, along with personal and financial information.

The Better Business Bureau is warning of an e-mail phishing scam making the rounds in Canada, targeting victims and trying to steal their Apple ID account information.

The organization says that scammers are sending out e-mails that are meant to look like official notifications from Apple ID Support, iTunes, or iCloud. The messages include requests for the user to download an attachment or click on a link that will ask them to enter their Apple ID for authentication purposes.

The BBB also says that in some cases, users have been told to enter their credit card information or other personal or financial information.

However, by downloading any attachments or clicking any links, victims may instantly download malicious malware meant to steal personal information that could be used to ultimately steal their identity.

"Scammers are sophisticated and create realistic looking websites and emails that appear to be from legitimate businesses in order to obtain your personal information," says Sandra Crozier-McKee, president and CEO of BBB Serving Southern Alberta and East Kootenay in a release. "It could be as simple as a slight misspelling of a word to trick viewers into believing they are being contacted by the actual business."

The BBB is offering the following tips to help protect you from these types of scams:

The BBB says users should also report these phishing scams to Apple directly by forwarding the e-mail to [e-mail].

Further information on online scams involving Apple can be found on their website.

Consumers can also report phishing to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.