The Better Business Bureau is warning of an e-mail phishing scam making the rounds in Canada, targeting victims and trying to steal their Apple ID account information.

The organization says that scammers are sending out e-mails that are meant to look like official notifications from Apple ID Support, iTunes, or iCloud. The messages include requests for the user to download an attachment or click on a link that will ask them to enter their Apple ID for authentication purposes.

The BBB also says that in some cases, users have been told to enter their credit card information or other personal or financial information.

However, by downloading any attachments or clicking any links, victims may instantly download malicious malware meant to steal personal information that could be used to ultimately steal their identity.

"Scammers are sophisticated and create realistic looking websites and emails that appear to be from legitimate businesses in order to obtain your personal information," says Sandra Crozier-McKee, president and CEO of BBB Serving Southern Alberta and East Kootenay in a release. "It could be as simple as a slight misspelling of a word to trick viewers into believing they are being contacted by the actual business."

The BBB is offering the following tips to help protect you from these types of scams:

  • Always be aware that scammers have the ability to copy a business’ colours, logos, and even e-mail addresses – watch for small mistakes such as typos and errors in the logo.
  • Instead of clicking immediately on any links, you can hover your cursor over the link, which will reveal the address. If you don’t recognize the URL, don’t click on it.
  • If you don’t know the person sending links or attachments, don’t click on them.
  • If a so-called official e-mail comes to your inbox riddled with typos and other mistakes, it is usually a big warning sign from a scammer whose primary language isn’t English.
  • Scam e-mails usually prompt users for immediate action, but you should always think before you act.
  • Keep your antivirus software and firewall up to date as they go a long way in protecting your computer from malicious programs.
  • If you are unsure about the authenticity about an official e-mail, it’s always a good idea to contact the company directly through their official site. If they can’t verify it, then it’s a scam.

The BBB says users should also report these phishing scams to Apple directly by forwarding the e-mail to reportphishing@apple.com.

Further information on online scams involving Apple can be found on their website.

Consumers can also report phishing to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.