I woke up early to catch the latest news on the election results, only to find that the first text message I saw was not a news alert from Maine, but a warning from Apple Customer Support. Someone in Moscow, Russia, was trying to access my Apple account to make a $329.49 purchase on the AliExpress Marketplace. The transaction would be processed within 80 minutes unless I called Apple Customer Support at 1-877-603-5084.

That is, obviously, not the real number for Apple Customer Support. I've included it as a warning, like the rest of this column. I should have checked the number. But I didn't even stop for coffee. My son recently had his identity hacked. Just what I didn't need to start my day.

So I called. There were two more charges pending, one from Mexico for drugs and alcohol and another one from Moscow. Did I want to block those as well?

Obviously, I did. What my phony Apple representative did next was the dead giveaway. He guided me on how to download an application that would give him ([email protected]) remote access to my iPhone so he could steal all my credentials. I got it by that point, and I challenged him for scamming me, and he fought back, and I did what I should have done first, which was to Google Stephen Parker Apple Scam. Here is a summary of what I got from various sources:

"Steve Parker" is a common alias used by cybercriminals in phishing scams that impersonate Apple Support. These scammers send fake text messages or emails claiming your Apple ID has been compromised, providing a fraudulent phone number for an agent named "Steve Parker" who pretends to help you secure your account but actually attempts to steal your credentials.

How the Scam Works

— Initial Warning: You receive an urgent text or email alert claiming unauthorized activity, an iCloud breach, or an unpaid Apple Store charge.

— The Hook: The message instructs you to call a specific phone number or click a link to cancel the request or verify your identity.

— Impersonation: If you call the number, the scammer (often posing as "Steve Parker" or a similar fraud department consultant) builds trust by providing seemingly legitimate security advice.

— Phishing: The scammer directs you to a fake website designed to look exactly like the legitimate Apple login page to steal your username, password, or financial details.

I never got as far as the Apple login page, but he did send me to the App Store to download a program that would have given him remote access to my phone. Even without caffeine, that spelled scam.

What's scary to me about this story is how close I got to falling for the Phishing. Phishing makes it sound innocent. It isn't. It's fraud, and it's hard to believe there is no way to regulate it better.

"Spam Risk," my phone screams all day long. Answering and saying, "Please don't call again," doesn't work. Neither does not answering. If my phone can recognize spam for what it is, why can't it give you the option of blocking it altogether?

What is being done to protect people from "Steve Parker" and punish the cybercriminals for their fraud and attempted fraud?

How could I be so stupid as to almost fall for it? Are they really that good? Something must be done to stop them.

In the meantime, beware of text messages giving you numbers to call for customer support that are not the ones on the official website. Check, don't call. If in doubt, call the real number. Never give remote access to your phone. When you realize that's what they're looking for, hang up. And report it.

To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Markus Spiske at Unsplash