Consumer Rights · Scam Alert · September 29, 2026
Key Facts
- thenationalnews.com issued a new alert: Warning about scam iPhone 18 deals that leave victims’ bank accounts cleaned out
- Scammers are using offers of discounted iPhone 18s on fake Arabic-language websites to clean out victims’ bank accounts, cyber security experts have warned.
- How it reaches victims: Email.
- Tactics the source describes: Asks for payment via gift card, wire, crypto or a payment app; impersonates a trusted organization.
Warning about scam iPhone 18 deals that leave victims’ bank accounts cleaned out. Scammers are using offers of discounted iPhone 18s on fake Arabic-language websites to clean out victims’ bank accounts, cyber security experts have warned. The launch of Apple’s latest phone has led to hundreds of customers queuing at Dubai Mall to get one, with some hoping to be the first in the region. But the cyber security firm Kaspersky says it has found websites in several languages, including Arabic, English and Portuguese, that claim to be selling the iPhone 18s at a 25 per cent discount with payments in installments.[1]
What the Scam Looks Like
How to Protect Yourself
- No legitimate agency, court, or company asks to be paid in gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or by Zelle or Cash App over the phone.
- Contact the organization directly using a phone number or website you look up yourself, not one provided in the message.
How to Verify This Yourself
Read the original alert directly at thenationalnews.com — that page is the primary source for everything above.
References
- thenationalnews.com. Warning about scam iPhone 18 deals that leave victims’ bank accounts cleaned out. ↩
Investigative methodology: this update was produced by scripts/scam_monitor.py from a real thenationalnews.com alert — not a language model. The quoted text above is verbatim from the source; any message or description shown in the illustration is quoted or copied from the source itself (see its caption); when the source does not publish the scam’s wording, none is shown or invented. Protection tips are matched from a fixed keyword list, not generated per story.

