There's a new iPhone text scam making the rounds

This phishing scam is in the form of a text message that says your Apple ID or iCloud account needs to be updated or else it will be terminated (which would be detrimental for any iOS user). To prevent this, you’re instructed to follow the link included in the text. And this is where the hackers take over — the link sends you to a fraudulent site requesting your information, including your first and last name and even passport information.

This is a scam perpetrated with the intent of stealing your personal identity.

According to Apple's privacy policy, they will not send you requests like this, and say that account-related information interactions typically happen in iTunes or your Apple ID account itself. The policy also outlines information it will never ask users for outside of their account — Social Security number, mother's maiden name, full credit card number or credit card CCV code — and advises users not to follow any links and to report any potential scams to the company.

Take steps to protect your identity.

In an increasingly electronic world, it’s becoming even more crucial to watch what information you share and with whom you share it. Scammers are regularly coming up with new ways to target consumers for their personal information to access their bank account, credit card and credit history.

Using a credit monitoring service can provide you with alerts of any credit activity, so you can verify the transactions appearing are actually ones you've made. A sudden, unexpected drop in your credit scores can potentially signal identity theft is occurring. You can keep an eye on your credit scores for free every month on Credit.com.

Cox Media Group