How can you detect a phoney right off the bat?
Trust nothing that pops up and advises that your computer has a problem — it's almost certainly a scam. That can be extrapolated to virtually any scenario, including email and telephone calls.
If somebody identifies himself as an Apple rep, then disconnect and call Apple directly to verify and report the intrusion.
Any suggestion that the caller/intruder is "your friend" and is here "to help you" warrants skepticism and very close examination.
"Trust but verify" in the online world is invalid — "Distrust and verify" is the only sound practice.
