Apple’s iPhone Duo goes on sale officially on October 23, marking the company’s first entry into the foldable phone market. For scammers, that kind of high-profile debut creates ideal conditions to target buyers chasing early access to a premium device. Kaspersky experts detected numerous scam attempts targeting victims in different parts of the world.
One such
English-language website advertised what it claimed was a 25% discount for
customers. Its design closely echoed Apple’s visual style, while a countdown
timer stating that only 30 minutes remained until the end of the offer created
a false sense of urgency and pushed visitors toward impulsive decisions. At
checkout, users were asked to provide their contact details and shipping
address. Notably, the site did not request card information at that stage;
instead, it claimed that a manager would contact the customer later to confirm
delivery arrangements and payment details. In many cases, this kind of setup
serves as the opening move in a fraudulent scheme that can ultimately lead to
financial loss.
These “offers”
are not limited to English-speaking audiences. Kaspersky also identified
examples of multilingual pages where users can select their preferred language.
In one such case, a fake website showcased various features of the new device
and invited users to place a preorder, even allowing them to choose the
currency for the purchase. To make the offer appear credible, the site
suggested that the user would supposedly be redirected to Apple’s official
website — which, in reality, is not the case.
Kaspersky
researchers also uncovered a fraudulent offer aimed at Portuguese-speaking
users. In this instance, the scammers tried to move the conversation to a
messaging app from the outset, asking the victim to share the phone number
linked to their WhatsApp account as well as their email address in order to
check product availability. This tactic not only exposes the victim’s contact
information, but also leaves them more vulnerable to further social
engineering.
“Scammers move fast when a flagship device hits the market, because hype creates urgency and urgency lowers caution. These campaigns are designed to look credible, then push the target into a private exchange before they have time to verify anything. For fraudsters, a flagship buyer is a high-value mark: someone already willing to spend big and therefore more likely to share personal or payment-related details. That is exactly why unofficial discounts, preorders, or ‘availability checks’ should be treated as red flags,” says Olga Altukhova, Senior Web Content Analyst at Kaspersky.
To shop for a new device without worrying about cyber threats, Kaspersky recommends that users:
- Always purchase new products through official and reputable stores to avoid falling victim to fraudulent offers.
- Check the authenticity of websites before entering personal data. Double-check URL formats and organizations name spellings.
- Use a reliable security solution that detects fraudulent stores and blocks phishing links. To ensure advanced protection against increasingly complex cyber threats, Kaspersky actively amplifies its consumer solutions with AI-powered scam protection – a unified suite of technologies that combines machine learning-based anti-phishing algorithms, real-time behavior monitoring, accompanied by Data Leak and Identity Theft checkers. In 2025, Kaspersky Premium received the "Approved" certification in Fake Shops Detection test by the leading testing lab AV-Comparatives.
- Secure your payment information. Use dedicated virtual cards or a dedicated payment service for online purchases to avoid exposing your credit card or bank account information. Store your credentials and financial data in a password managerfor secure auto-fill and cross-device synchronization.
- Enable multi-factor authentication and monitor accounts: Activate 2FA on IDs and financial apps and regularly review statements for unauthorized activity.
