Bitcoin Scammers Made $69,000 During Apple iPhone 13 Launch Event
On September 14, Apple revealed its new line-up including the fresh iPhone 13 series, a brand new Apple iPad Mini and the Apple Watch Series 13. While the merits of buying these Apple products may be debatable, scammers capitalised on the release event without helping Apple.
The scammers set up a fake event stream, a complementary fake Apple-like website and the guarantee of delivering free bitcoin to all participants, who didn't suspect any wrongdoing... until it was too late.?News agency IANS estimates that the scammers made at least $69,000 by scamming excited Apple fans.
How did the scammers do it?
Quite simply, they imitated the Apple experience on a lookalike website, offering a similar streaming experience to those looking forward to the launch of a new iPhone.
Instead of showing the actual event, the website streamed old interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, AppleInsider claims.?Those unfortunate enough to stay on the website received an on-screen ping to visit a website - www.2021.apple.org - a fake!
Also read:?Apple Will Monitor Your Mental Health From iPhone, Apple Watch Data In Future
On this website, users were shown a bitcoin giveaway. Users were asked to send 0.1 to 20 bitcoin through a QR code to receive the double of that amount. Of course, they didn't receive the amount back. Instead, the scammers made $69,000 in bitcoin.
This incident sheds light on how easy it is to scam people online using simple and creative methods. For this exact reason, it's imperative for all users to internalise healthy practices while visiting websites - including checking the URL for suspicious characters.
Also read:?Sorry Apple: EU Law On Single Charging Port For All Smartphones Is Coming
Those familiar with Apple release events and the pool of Apple websites would have noticed the difference right away. Want to stay safe? Keep yourself up to date! Currently, the scammer website is down - which it is expected to stay forever, now that they've made $69,000.
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