Security

Click on this link "If you think your Apple ID has been compromised" --> https://support.apple.com/HT204145

'Checklist: If you want to see if anyone else has access to your device or accounts' click here --> https://support.apple.com/HT212021

Security and your Apple ID - https://support.apple.com/HT201303

Contact Apple for help with Apple ID account security - https://support.apple.com/HT204169 "This article provides country-specific Apple Support contact information for customers seeking help with their Apple ID password or other security-related issues." Better for directly reporting an issue.

Hello ~ I understand that this may be frightening but it is a scam. These are criminals out to gain your information. If you follow the info posted by *Limnos* you should be fine. Did you click on the email or give them any pertinent information…like your Apple ID or credit card info? Do not respond or click on anything that these types of criminals send you. Read the information posted prior and maybe this as well . I encourage you to report this.

Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phony support calls

~Katana-San~

Hello ~ May I ask what makes you feel as if your device has been compromised?

~Katana-San~

Hello again ~ You are welcome but seriously…follow *Limnos* posts. Take care :)

~Katana-San~

Now that you say this was an email, one thing you should immediately question is what is claimed in an email. If you are uncertain about a message and a resource provided in that message, do not click on any links. Try to independently verify the resource by going to a support page on apple.com and use that to contact Apple or to verify the service the message is telling you to use. In this particular case, if your camera was being controlled you would see it as an orange dot.

Click on this link to read 'About the orange and green indicators in your iPhone status bar' --> https://support.apple.com/HT211876

Katana-san has provided you with Apple's general guidelines about phishing and scam emails. Here's more, some of which is not in Apple's documents and therefore will not get official approval but probably has more specifics for actually identifying bogus messages. I'll post it separately since it is not part of their official guidelines.

- Apple e-mails address you by your real name, not something like "Dear Customer", "Dear Client", or an e-mail address*.

- Apple e-mails originate from @apple.com or @itunes.com but it is possible to spoof a sender address. "Apple email related to your Apple ID account always comes from appleid@id.apple.com." - https://support.apple.com/HT201356

- Set your email to display Show Headers or Show Original to view Received From. Apple emails originate from IP addresses starting with "17.".

- Mouse-over links to see if they direct to real Apple web sites. Do not click on them as this just tells the spammer they have a working e-mail address in their database. If you are unsure, contact Apple using a link from the Apple.com web site, not one in an email.

- Phishing emails may include account suspension or similar threats in order to panic you into clicking on a link without thinking. They may report a fake purchase in order to infuriate you into rashly clicking on a false link to report a problem. Mar 2018 post by Niel https://discussions.apple.com/message/33129140#message33129140 - "Emails saying that your Apple ID has been locked or disabled are always phishing. If one actually gets disabled, its owner will be told when they try logging into it instead of through email."

- Apple will not ask for personal information in an e-mail and never for a social security number.

- Scams may have bad grammar or spelling mistakes.

- Apple will not phone you unless it is a response to a request from you to have them call you.