So today I was looking at my spam box on my aol email account using my Iphone. I noticed a pretty legitimate looking message from Whatsapp saying that I had a new voicemail. I don't have that app and my paranoia kicked in thinking that someone had signed me up or was using my identity. I foolishly clicked the link. It opened safari. The address bar was flashing numerous websites and after no more than 2 or 3 seconds I closed out. I closed out faster than any content on any of the webpages could load, so I just saw a blank white screen with an address bar flashing different sites. After doing a few minutes of research I found out that I had clicked on a popular and vicious phishing email that installs malware and can even allow hacking and remote access. (A simple web search will yield a plethora of articles about this specific type of phishing email) After a few minutes I immediately powered down my Iphone 5.
Some quick details. I have not downloaded ANY of the IOS updates my phone has received over the years. This is because my phone has limited memory as I do not delete pics and vids. I also have never "jail-broken" my OS.
So what are some possibilities and the likelihood of each? With limited memory could malware have been installed within a few seconds? Could I have been hacked? What should I do to ensure my device is safe before I use it again?
Thank you so much in advance for your answers!
Read more: Has my Iphone 5 been compromised?