Apple introduces Impersonation Risk Detection in iOS 27

Apple is introducing a new security feature called ‘Impersonation Risk Detection’ in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to combat social engineering scams. Unlike traditional malware protection, this tool aims to identify when a user may be under psychological pressure from scammers posing as banks, government agencies, or trusted individuals.

The system analyzes device and Apple Account information to assess risk levels based on patterns, interaction, and timing. It communicates one of three risk levels to compatible third-party apps: ‘Unknown’, ‘Medium’, or ‘High’. Upon receiving a high-risk signal, a supporting app can respond by displaying a warning, requiring additional authentication, or introducing a delay before completing a transaction.

To protect user privacy, Apple does not share specific underlying data with developers, only the resulting risk score. The feature is not enabled by default and must be manually activated in the device settings under ‘Privacy & Security’. Currently, the feature only functions within apps that have opted to support the technology.