Three in four Apple notifications warning users about mercenary spyware attacks are linked to criminal activity rather than intelligence agencies, according to a new report by mobile security company iVerify.
The findings challenge the perception that sophisticated iPhone spyware is primarily used by governments to target journalists, politicians and other high-profile individuals.
Among the reported victims were an Australian limousine driver targeted this year, as well as the children of an Ottawa bus driver and a stay-at-home mother.
None of the individuals had a prominent public profile or worked in a particularly sensitive profession, highlighting how sophisticated surveillance tools can reach ordinary members of the public.
According to iVerify, criminals have been distributing the DarkSword and Coruna iPhone hacking kits through online advertisements.
The tools can reportedly compromise devices without requiring users to click on suspicious links or take any other action, making the attacks particularly difficult to detect and avoid.
The findings raise fresh concerns about the growing availability of advanced hacking capabilities beyond government intelligence agencies, with ordinary smartphone users increasingly exposed to sophisticated cybercrime.