Apple iPhone scam sees users asked for up to £50 to 'unlock' their devices

Support communities have said you can avoid the scam by turning your phone onto 'airplane mode'

Some people have been targetted by a US scam (Getty Images)

Apple users are being warned to avoid a scam that freezes their iPhones and asks them to pay up to £50 to unlock the devices.

Affected iPhone users in the US and the UK have seen a "crash report" message appear on their screen, asking them to contact a number for an “immediate fix”.

Although the US Apple customers have experienced the problem for at least nine months, the MailOnline has claimed that the scam has now crossed the Atlantic. An Apple spokesperson told the newspaper that people should check their security settings on Safari.

Customers are then given one of two numbers - '1-800-480-4170' in the US or '0800 279 6211' or '0800 652 4895' in the UK – and warned that third parties are attempting to take all their details and personal information from their iPhone.

After being asked to hand over their credit card details, the scam then charges up to $80 (£51) in the US or £31 in this country to ‘clear’ the phone. In reality, those duped have simply handed over their card details to the scammer.

A helpful Apple community thread has explained to users how to avoid the scam by turning the iPhone on to airplane mode and deleting internet browser Safari’s web history.

Users on the community have posted that the method appears to work, with one reporting personal instances of foiling the scam.