In a narrative that sounds like it’s straight out of a cyber-thriller, an iPhone user turned to Reddit, the digital oracle of our times, after receiving a series of bone-chilling messages from Apple. The emails weren’t your usual promotional fluff or app update notifications. No, these were stark warnings that state-sponsored attackers might be using mercenary spyware to target their iPhone. Talk about an upgrade from the usual spam!

Imagine checking your inbox between sips of coffee to find Apple telling you, “Hey there, just a heads up, some government-funded tech wizards might be trying to hijack your phone. No biggie.” The first message was alarming enough, suggesting these attackers could tap into the user’s camera and microphone. Because who wouldn’t want a shadowy figure potentially eavesdropping on their rendition of shower karaoke or their midnight fridge raids?

Credit: Reddit/Fluid-Combination-70

Following Apple’s advice, the user updated their phone and hunkered down in ‘lockdown mode,’ a digital fortress presumably designed to keep the high-tech invaders at bay. Yet, despite these precautions, a second email arrived, doubling down on the dire warnings and suggesting that the attacks were not only costly but highly targeted. It seems our iPhone user might be more important in the grand scheme of things than they realized.

Reddit, ever the helpful hive mind, rallied to the user’s aid with advice ranging from “Take this seriously, buddy” to “Maybe don’t click on that suspicious ‘Win a Free iPhone’ link next time.” Apple, on its end, confirmed that it does send out these digital SOS messages to users under the mercenary spyware gun, targeting a select few who might be of particular interest, like journalists, activists, and perhaps people who are exceptionally good at online trivia.

So, what’s the takeaway for the average iPhone user? Besides never underestimating the excitement that an unexpected email can bring, it’s perhaps that in the digital age, being a target for state-sponsored spyware is just another Tuesday. And while most of us aren’t likely to find ourselves in the crosshairs of international cyber espionage, it’s always good to remember the old adage: better safe than sorry, especially when it comes to safeguarding our digital lives.