08/22/2025
This happened today while I was driving. My phone was in it holder. I’m driving down the road and all of a sudden this pops up on my screen. I wasn’t using my phone at all and I was thinking holy crap what’s going on? I didn’t click anything, but I messaged my brother who is an expert with iPhone and Mac and Apple products.
I’m copying and pasting exactly what he said to do. I wanted to share this with everybody so that you don’t get scammed either.
If you're seeing a pop-up on your iPhone claiming your "phone is leaking sensitive data" or similar and instructing you to click "OK," do not click or interact with the pop-up in any way.
This is a scam, often referred to as a "scareware" or phishing attempt, designed to alarm you and trick you into taking an action that could compromise your information or device.
Here's why and what you should do:
• Apple does not send security warnings via pop-ups on your device or in Safari browser. Legitimate Apple security notifications are typically sent through your Apple ID or email, or as alerts on your device's lock screen or notification center.
• The pop-up is attempting to trick you into clicking a malicious link, downloading a fake app, or calling a fraudulent support number. These actions could lead to malware installation, credential theft, or other forms of digital compromise.
What to do
1 Do NOT click the "OK" button or any part of the pop-up.
2 Close the tab or app where the pop-up appeared.If it's a Safari pop-up, tap the tab icon (two overlapping squares) in the lower right and then the X on the problematic tab, or swipe the tab up to close it.
3 If the pop-up was in Safari, consider enabling pop-up blockers by going to Settings > Safari and toggling on "Block Pop-ups".
4 Clear your Safari history and website data. Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. This can help remove lingering scripts from malicious pages.
5 Restart your iPhone. This can help clear any errant processes triggered by the pop-up.
6 Ensure your iPhone's software is up to date by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Updates often include security patches that protect against new threats.
To avoid these scams in the future
• Avoid clicking on suspicious links in emails, texts, or websites, especially from unknown sources.
• Only download apps from the official Apple App Store.
• Enable "Fraudulent Website Warning" in Settings > Safari.