How to Protect Your iCloud Account, Juuust in Case Those Hackers Aren’t Joking

A hacker group called Turkish Crime Family says that it can access 250 million iCloud accounts, and will do so on April 7 to reset the password, locking people out of their accounts. They’ve even threatened to wipe people’s linked iPhones if Apple doesn’t pay up. And while it’s hard to tell how legitimate the threat is, their assertions make now as good a time to lock down your iCloud as ever.

The group says it has seven members, and has requested $700,000 from Apple to stand down. It also may be planning a demonstration of what they can do prior to the deadline. “We have something planned soon before the attack,” a member of the group tells WIRED.

For its part, Apple says that the group doesn’t pose a threat. “There have not been any breaches in any of Apple’s systems including iCloud and Apple ID,” the company said in a statement. “The alleged list of email addresses and passwords appears to have been obtained from previously compromised third-party services. We’re actively monitoring to prevent unauthorized access to user accounts and are working with law enforcement to identify the criminals involved.”