Apple's devices, including iPhones, are pretty tight on security. The closed iOS ecosystem protects Apple devices from several imminent threats. But iPhones are not completely impenetrable, especially if you download certain materials from the web, apps that deceived Apple, or browse malicious sites.

In any case, users should understand that if there is a serious threat then Apple would handle it through official software updates rolled out over-the-air. These updates come directly from Apple, but some notorious actors are mirroring the trick to fool iPhone users.  

Fraudsters often send fake emails or notifications mimicking the legit services, in this case, Apple. If you've come across a notification on your iPhone that warns you about a malware attack, don't fall for it. The warning starts off with an alarming message, "viruses has been detected on your iPhone and battery has been infected and damaged."

Now that the message has got your attention, it goes on to say that "if you do not remove this malware now, it may cause more damage to your device." And then it promises a fix, which requires you to download a virus protection tool for free from AppStore.

Check out the screenshot of the warning message below:

Fake malware warning on iPhone
Fake malware warning on iPhoneScreenshot

Fact-check

Now, if you look closely and pay attention to the details, you'll instantly dismiss this fake warning. Firstly, if it was coming from Apple, you won't see some silly grammatical errors in the message and the illogical reasoning. There's Apple's logo on top with "Apple Security" written next to it followed by the day and date to give the fake warning touch of authenticity.

But the biggest clue is on top of the Apple logo, which would mostly skip our attention if read the message in panic. The pop-up appears to come from "vpnprotectplus.com." We covered our bases by verifying if there's anything by that name, and all we could find is an unsecured website with "403 Forbidden" warning.

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Fake malware warning on iPhonePixabay

A simple search on google would tell you there's nothing legit about vpnprotectplus.com, hence dismissing this whole sham. It goes without saying iPhone users who've seen this warning shouldn't download and install whatever software is recommended by this pop-up. It will only give hackers the ammunition to do exactly what this message warns you about.