Growing Number of Users Receiving Spam Group FaceTime Calls

As reported by Ars Technica, a significant number of Apple device users are being bombarded with spam group FaceTime calls during late hours of the night from people they've never met.

applegroupfacetimevideo
The spammers, or "pranksters," utilize the fact that Apple doesn't provide a setting to accept ‌FaceTime‌ calls only from people within a user's address book. Apple does allow users to block individual numbers, but doing so does not prevent group ‌FaceTime‌ calls, even if the blocked number is in the call. As explained by Ars Technica, some users have been getting inundated with the group ‌FaceTime‌ calls, and as soon as they hang-up, another call comes in.

As described by one Apple Support forum user, the spam calls have been ongoing non-stop, and as a result, they've blocked more than 300 numbers. Another user describes their experience:

Starting around 2 am this morning I began receiving group FaceTime calls from a mix of numbers in my contacts and random numbers I didn't have saved. Since then I've received about 7 more calls throughout the day. The calls only ring once or twice before ending. What's even more interesting is that, after going back through the numbers involved in the calls in the "recents" tab of the FaceTime app, there were more than the 32 total people involved with the highest being 59. The reason I think this happened is that every number was repeated once or twice.

It seems this is not a new occurrence, with posts dating back as far as March of last year complaining about the issue. Unfortunately, there's no current remedy, but hopefully the growing number of users reportedly being targeted will push Apple to provide a solution. We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update this article if we hear back.

Top Rated Comments

yurc Avatar
40 months ago
Apple should only allow FaceTime calls from numbers that on your address list, or add option to block contacts which isn't listed on address list.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
centauratlas Avatar
40 months ago
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile etc need to implement anti-spoofing measures ASAP also. At least with calls though Apple allows you to block unknown numbers. Seems like it should be obvious that this should include FaceTime.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DanTSX Avatar
40 months ago
Nobody even fake facetimes me ?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mazz0 Avatar
40 months ago

At least with calls though Apple allows you to block unknown numbers. Seems like it should be obvious that this should include FaceTime.
I can’t believe it doesn‘t! What a strange oversight.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cashville2400 Avatar
40 months ago
Wow, that must be pleasant. Hopefully Apple finds a way to stop it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
slowpoke Avatar
40 months ago
Seems like a cool way to meet new people during the Bunker Era, imo
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...