"Your Apple ID has been locked" text scam
Fake Apple texts create panic about a locked account and link to a look-alike login page that captures your Apple ID and password.
How this scam works
The lockout warning creates urgency around an account tied to your devices and personal data. The look-alike page captures the password or other details entered to "unlock" it.
Common versions of the message
- A locked-Apple-ID warning
- Suspicious-activity language
- A link to verify your identity
What the message looks like
Text from +1 (555) 012-7738
Apple: Your Apple ID has been locked due to suspicious activity. Verify your identity within 24 hours to unlock it: https://appleid-unlock-support.top/verify
Fictional example based on common, publicly reported scam patterns.
The red flags
- 1
Lockout by text: “Apple ID has been locked”
Made to panic you into clicking
A surprise lockout by text is meant to trigger panic before you check the account from Settings on your iPhone.
- 2
Asks you to log in: “Verify your identity”
This is how they steal your password
The identity-verification request is really a prompt to enter the login information the sender wants.
- 3
Not Apple: “appleid-unlock-support.top”
Real Apple links end in apple.com
The example address includes Apple words but ends in .top. Check the account in Settings or by typing apple.com yourself.
What to do
- Do not tap the link.
- Check your Apple ID in Settings on your iPhone, or type apple.com yourself.
- If you entered your password, change it and turn on two-factor authentication.
If you already replied, clicked, or paid
- Change your Apple ID password from Settings or apple.com immediately.
- Turn on two-factor authentication and review the devices connected to the account.
- If you entered card details on the page, call the number on the card right away.
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