iPhones, iPads and Macs Hacked Across Australia: Phone Jackers Demand Ransom to Unlock Devices
iPhones, iPads and Mac computers have been hacked across Australia, according to reports. The hackers are able to break into the Apple devices and have been demanding ransom payments through PayPal accounts to unlock them.
The iPhones and other Apple devices being hacked were found over the past weekend in the Queensland, western Australia, southern Australia and Victoria areas, TheAge.com said. Some Apple device users down under were even woken up by the "lost phone" tone with a message revealing the iPhone or iPad had been taken over.
"Device hacked by Oleg Pliss. For unlock device," one message read. The hacker demanded $50 in that case to unlock the phone, but since Oleg Pliss is an actual employee of software company Oracle, it is likely that the criminal is using a false name.
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In all the cases, only users who had no password on their devices were hacked through the Find My iPhone app, but those who had passwords were still able to unlock them.
"Ok just got a 'found your phone' email from Find my iPhone, then got a message on my phone to say it had been hacked. Should I be worried?" one user tweeted.
"My phone and ipad have been hacked overnight, message on screen says "your device has been hacked by oleg pliss.." another wrote. Others revealed that once they sent the money, the phones were unlocked.
Some Apple users attempted to contact their local carrier networks to resolve the problem, but were told to contact Apple instead. In all cases, it's wise for users being affected to change their password as soon as possible.
To prevent such hacker tactics, two-factor authentication is possible. To get around the hackers' phone-locking scam, check here and follow the directions.
