Hackers can target your iPhone through websites and ads — here's how to protect your money

“Users aren’t visiting malicious websites,” Rocky Cole, CEO and cofounder of security startup iVerify, told Forbes. “They’re not doing anything wrong. They’re just scrolling and being infected.”

Law enforcement trying to keep staying abreast of new scams

The sophistication of scammers has been increasing, leading to many Americans losing their life savings, like one man in Peoria, Ariz. Law enforcement was able to obtain a warrant to freeze the accounts so Dave could get his savings back.

“I’d never seen this before: a scannable card in his wallet to activate the ATM, to turn it into a direct account-to-account portal,” Peoria police detective Michael Finney told 12News. “They basically turned his phone into a weapon.”

Finney was able to recover about 90% of Dave’s money after five months. He also noted that in most cases, if the crime isn’t reported within 72 hours, the likelihood of recovering the stolen money is slim.

How to protect yourself from scams

The problem with the tech used by crypto thieves is that there are no malicious texts or emails. It’s done through passive actions on social media and through browsers like Safari and Chrome.

iVerity encourages those running a website to audit their third-party tags. Go through every external script and remove any for services you no longer use. Also, know what your pages are loading, and use a content security policy.

For iPhone users, be sure to update your iOS regularly and apply patches as soon as they are released. If you use your iPhone for your crypto account, be sure to turn on Lockdown Mode. If you suspect you’re a victim of an attack, you can use apps like iVerify Basic to scan for any signs of compromise.

How can I protect myself from digital payment scams?

Apple may have a strong reputation for being secure and somewhat infallible, but that doesn’t mean they’re immune to malware or viruses.