How to spot a fake Apple email, text or call
2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
Apple never asks for your password, your passcode or a verification code, and never asks you to switch off a security feature. A message or call that does is a scam. Do not tap the link. Forward suspicious emails, or a screenshot of a text, to [email protected], and delete them.
Fraudsters copy Apple's look to get at Apple Accounts, because an account opens the door to photos, backups and payment methods. The messages look real. What gives them away is what they ask you to do.
Menu names are from recent versions of iOS.
Step by step
Check the sender
Look at the full email address or phone number, not only the name shown. If it does not match the company it claims to be, it is fake. Caller ID can be forged too, so a call that shows Apple's name proves nothing.
Check where the link goes
A link can look right in the text and lead somewhere else. Touch and hold it to see the real address without opening it. Apple's sign-in pages are on apple.com and icloud.com.
Notice the pressure
Scams create urgency: your account will be locked, a payment has been made, your iCloud is full, act within 24 hours. The hurry is meant to stop you from checking.
Know what Apple never asks
Apple does not ask for your password, the passcode of your device or a two-factor code. It does not ask you to sign in on a website or tap Accept on a sign-in request you did not start, and it does not ask you to turn off two-factor authentication, Find My or Stolen Device Protection.
Hang up on support calls you did not ask for
If someone calls and says they are from Apple, hang up. If you think there may be a real problem, contact Apple yourself through the Apple Support app or support.apple.com.
Ignore pop-ups and calendar spam
A browser window that says your iPhone has a virus is an advert. Close the tab and do not call the number shown. For spam events in the calendar, report the invitation as junk or delete the subscribed calendar.
Report it
Forward a suspicious email to [email protected]. For a text message, take a screenshot and send it to the same address. For a suspicious FaceTime call or link, send a screenshot to [email protected]. Then delete the message.
Good to know
If you did enter your details on a fake page, change your Apple Account password at once, check that two-factor authentication is on, and look through the devices signed in to your account. The steps: how to change your Apple Account password on an iPhone and how to turn on two-factor authentication for your Apple Account on an iPhone.
If you gave card details, call your bank and have the card blocked.
A receipt for something you did not buy is a common bait. Check your real purchases under Settings, your name, Media & Purchases, or at reportaproblem.apple.com, which you type in yourself.
Requests to pay with gift cards are always fraud. No authority and no company accepts gift cards as payment.
In short: Check sender and link, distrust urgency, Apple never asks for passwords or codes, hang up on unrequested calls, report to [email protected], change the password if you entered it.
- Apple Support: Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams
Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.