Look Out for This iPhone Duo Preorder Scam That Can Steal Your Data
Apple’s first foldable isn’t available for preorder until Oct. 16. Don’t believe anything that says otherwise.
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, is set to launch on Oct. 16, but a fraudulent ad is misleading people into thinking they can preorder it earlier. Malwarebytes has identified this scam, which aims to steal personal and financial data from unsuspecting victims using the DarkSword exploit chain. This exploit targets iPhones running iOS 18.4 to 18.6.2 and iPads, compromising the device as soon as the scam page loads on the browser.
The fake ad mimics Apple's style, complete with the Apple logo, font, and copyright, but the privacy, terms, and sales policy links lead nowhere. The scam form lists incorrect specifications for the iPhone Duo, such as color options and screen sizes. If you fill out the form, you'll receive a "Pre-Order Successful" message, even though the data theft is already happening.
The malicious code steals passwords, messages, call history, contacts, voicemail, email, photos, app info, cryptocurrency wallet data, and Apple Notes. To protect your device, ensure it's running the latest iOS version (iOS 26) and enable Automatic Updates. If you suspect a scam has occurred, update your iPhone, restart it, and change any potentially compromised passwords.
Written by urgent.news from CNET's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
