iOS 27 Scam Detection Is Off by Default on iPhones

Apple has added an optional scam-detection feature to iOS 27, but iPhone owners must enable it themselves. The feature is meant to help when a criminal impersonates a bank, government agency or trusted person and pressures someone to send money or change account information.

What happened

The new setting is called Impersonation Risk Detection. According to 9to5Mac, it analyzes information about an iPhone and its associated Apple Account for signs that the owner may be dealing with an active social-engineering scam.

The feature then gives a risk level to a supported app. Apple says the app receives that rating without getting the underlying device or account information used to calculate it. Each app decides how to respond, such as displaying a scam warning, adding a delay or asking the user to verify their identity.

This is different from blocking an unknown caller or filtering a suspicious message. It is intended to recognize situations in which a person may be following a scammer’s instructions. That matters because ordinary two-factor authentication may not stop fraud when the account owner has been deceived into approving the action.

The protection is disabled by default. Apple also has not published a list of apps that currently support it, so turning it on does not mean every banking, payment or communication app will react to a suspected scam.

Who is affected

The setting is relevant to iPhone owners running iOS 27, especially people who use their phones for banking, payments or account changes. It may help during scams involving someone pretending to represent a financial institution, government office or familiar contact.

The source does not identify which iPhone models can run the feature, and Apple has not disclosed a complete list of compatible apps. People should therefore treat it as an added warning system, not as proof that every transaction or conversation is being checked.

What to do now

1. On an iPhone running iOS 27, open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.

2. Tap Impersonation Risk Detection, then turn on Share with App Developers. This permits supported apps to receive the risk level generated by the feature.

3. Pay attention if an app adds a delay, requests another identity check or displays a scam warning. Stop before sending money or changing account details, particularly when someone claiming to be a bank or government agency is pressuring you to act.

4. Do not assume two-factor authentication will make a pressured transaction safe. The source notes that these protections may not identify a scam when the legitimate account owner is the person approving the action.

5. Check the Impersonation Risk Detection setting again after major iPhone configuration changes to confirm that Share with App Developers remains enabled. Because Apple has not named the supported apps, continue using normal caution even when no warning appears.