Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Another malware technique warning

BotchQue

BotchQue

macrumors 65816
Original poster
They got me again.
Got a ping in Messages. Overdue parking ticket. I usually swipe the message in the sidebar to the left, hit the garbage can, and get three buttons: Delete, Delete and report spam, and Cancel. The open message with the "parking ticket instructions" also had those same three buttons at the bottom, and my finger hit "Delete and report spam" in the message just as my slow brain started screaming "Waitaminiiite!!!"

I then hit CMD-Q to quit the Messages app, didn't work. Hit the Messages drop-down menu, clicked on "Quit Messages", didn't work. Hit "Restart" and Finder tells me, "Messages is preventing a Restart, please quit Messages first"; same thing with "Shut Down" under the Apple menu.

Start trying various CMD-Control-Option-Delete-Escape combos, finally just smashed and held down the "power/fingerprint thingie, and got it shut down. Started back up, tentatively opened Messages, then slid the parking ticket message to the left, hit the garbage can, and it's gone.


Was watching the last Stephen Colbert show on DVR 😢, and I guess my advancing senility doesn't allow me to smartly multitask too well anymore. Just posting this for everyone to be aware of.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brian33
They are getting more inventive everyday
"Apple account change alerts abused to send phishing emails"
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...change-alerts-abused-to-send-phishing-emails/
"Apple account change notifications are being abused to send fake iPhone purchase phishing scams within legitimate emails sent from Apple's servers, increasing legitimacy and potentially allowing them to bypass spam filters."
 
  • Like
Reactions: baconcat_8964, adrianlondon, macshmack and 1 other person
Why would you not want to "Delete and report spam"? That isn't malware or part of the original message from the sender. It's Apple putting it in there so you can report it. You didn't do anything wrong by tapping it.

Report spam and block senders on Mac

In Messages on your Mac, report spam messages, recover messages from the Spam folder, and block unwanted messages.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
BigBlur said:
Why would you not want to "Delete and report spam"? That isn't malware or part of the original message from the sender. It's Apple putting it in there so you can report it. You didn't do anything wrong by tapping it.

Report spam and block senders on Mac

In Messages on your Mac, report spam messages, recover messages from the Spam folder, and block unwanted messages.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
Click to expand...
The Delete/Report button was embedded IN the Message that I got, not the buttons the Message App gives you.
 
BotchQue said:
They got me again.
Got a ping in Messages. Overdue parking ticket. I usually swipe the message in the sidebar to the left, hit the garbage can, and get three buttons: Delete, Delete and report spam, and Cancel. The open message with the "parking ticket instructions" also had those same three buttons at the bottom, and my finger hit "Delete and report spam" in the message just as my slow brain started screaming "Waitaminiiite!!!"

I then hit CMD-Q to quit the Messages app, didn't work. Hit the Messages drop-down menu, clicked on "Quit Messages", didn't work. Hit "Restart" and Finder tells me, "Messages is preventing a Restart, please quit Messages first"; same thing with "Shut Down" under the Apple menu.

Start trying various CMD-Control-Option-Delete-Escape combos, finally just smashed and held down the "power/fingerprint thingie, and got it shut down. Started back up, tentatively opened Messages, then slid the parking ticket message to the left, hit the garbage can, and it's gone.


Was watching the last Stephen Colbert show on DVR 😢, and I guess my advancing senility doesn't allow me to smartly multitask too well anymore. Just posting this for everyone to be aware of.
Click to expand...
Did you get infected? Do you run any anti-malware software?
 
DCIFRTHS said:
Did you get infected? Do you run any anti-malware software?
Click to expand...
I don't think so. I had it powered down within a minute, and was able to delete the message in the normal manner after powering back up. I just need to pay more attention.
 
bogdanw said:
They are getting more inventive everyday
"Apple account change alerts abused to send phishing emails"
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...change-alerts-abused-to-send-phishing-emails/
"Apple account change notifications are being abused to send fake iPhone purchase phishing scams within legitimate emails sent from Apple's servers, increasing legitimacy and potentially allowing them to bypass spam filters."
Click to expand...
ah, so that's what they are, I get 'important information about your Apple Account password' almost every day, but the weird thing is I did open it once, and the link within directed me to legit apple ID page. how do they even get sent from Apple servers? anyway, I just ignore them now.
 
My Apple email address is different to the one I use for normal life. So I often get phishing attempts that stand out because they are to the wrong email address.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eyoungren
Jonnod III said:
My Apple email address is different to the one I use for normal life. So I often get phishing attempts that stand out because they are to the wrong email address.
Click to expand...
I have three Apple iCloud email addresses, all gathered over the years because Apple pushed them. Only one of those is where Apple will actually send me marketing emails. My primary Apple email is, like yours, entirely different. It used to be based on my ISP, but I realize that at some point in my life I might move ISP providers so I changed it to what it is now.

That same Apple email address is also largely used for stuff I anticipate spam for. So, any 'Apple' emails I get there are already suspect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jonnod III
BotchQue said:
Hmm, I completely missed that Apple menu item the other day. It's CMD-OPT-Power; I just held the power button down until the screen went dark. Do they both do the same thing?
Click to expand...
⌥⌘⎋ (Option-Command-Escape) to access Force Quit.

⌥⌘⏻ (Option-Command-Power) to sleep the Mac.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BotchQue
I think I had a variant of that scam, but they screwed the pooch (putsch) by using a phone number that was clearly not in the jurisdiction (not sure the locals use text messages for such things). have to love their efforts
 
  • Haha
Reactions: blufrog
Jonnod III said:
Pulling the power cord (as you posted) does not work on a MacBook.

If you'd meant to say press and hold the power button, then, yes...
Click to expand...
I think you're splitting hairs now. On any desktop, pulling the power kills the power immediately.

The MacBook/laptop equivalent is holding the power button because you can't remove the battery. 🙄 This also kills the power after 10 seconds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back