Consumer Brand Impersonation Phishing and Tech-Support Scams Targeting Apple and Avast Users

Multiple brand-impersonation phishing campaigns are targeting consumers by abusing trust in Avast and Apple to drive victims into disclosing payment or account details. One campaign uses a near-identical fake Avast portal aimed at French-speaking users, presenting a fabricated €499.99 “subscription charge” and a short cancellation window to induce urgency; the site validates entered card numbers using the Luhn algorithm and uses a Tawk.to live-chat widget (ID 689773de2f0f7c192611b3bf) to pressure victims in real time into submitting full card details (including CVV) under the pretense of processing a refund.

Separate Apple-themed scams use phishing-to-phone and SMS lures to route victims to scam call centers and harvest credentials and financial information. One email purporting to be from an “Apple Fraud Prevention” team attempts to panic recipients into calling a fake support number, while an “Apple Security Alert” Apple Pay text claims a suspicious $143.95 Apple Store transaction and urges an immediate call to a +1 850-85* number to “cancel” the charge. Another tactic abuses iOS Calendar subscriptions (“iPhone Calendar Scam”) to flood devices with fake security/prize alerts that push users to click malicious links; guidance emphasizes unsubscribing from the rogue calendar and avoiding interacting with the spam invites.