Recognizing Apple Pay Fraud Report Scams
You have received a text message or email reporting payment fraud, or with an unrecognized bill.
The text will vary, with one of many variations following:
Apple Approval Notice We have noticed that your Apple iCloud id was recently used at "APPLE STORE - VA" for $143.95, paid by Apple Pay Pre Authorization. Also some suspicious sign in request and apple pay activation request detected. That looks like suspicious to us. In order to maintain the security and privacy of your account we have placed those request on hold. If NOT you? talk to an Apple Representative. Failing may lead to auto debit and charge will not be reversed. Call +1-800-555-0100 immediately to cancel
This message is a scam.
How to identify a questionable or fraudulent message?
For messages purportedly from Apple, look for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Details including wording like “That looks like suspicious to us” would be unusual from Apple.
For this message, this is also not how payment fraud detection works. When a financial provider’s fraud detection systems determines payment fraud is possible, the payment is blocked until and unless you contact your payment provider and release the payment. There’s no automatic timed release of a detected fraud. It’s blocked until and unless you release it.
”Apple Pay Pre Authorization” is not how Apple Pay payments work, either. Apple Pay passes the authorization through to the payment card provider to accept or deny. It is the payment provider that implements fraud detection too, not Apple.
Are there other scams?
Other common scams include the “pervert” and other sextortion scams, the “(3) viruses detected!” scams, the so-called “pig butchering” and other romance scams, your “arrested” relative needs help making bail, incessant barrages of two factor code account take-over scams, endemic counterfeit devices on offer, and all sorts of bogus bills.
Where can I see more examples of scam messages?
Reddit has an endless supply of ever-changing and ever-evolving example scams available for review here: https://reddit.com/r/scams
Some write-ups on various scams:
- https://macreports.com/your-apple-id-was-used-at-apple-storephishing-scams-in-text-messages/
- Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes ... - Apple Support
- https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/09/sextortion-scams-now-include-photos-of-your-home/
What can you do to verify? To report?
As a rule, Apple doesn’t call or text, unless you initiated contact with Apple.
If you are unsure a message is from Apple, use official Apple support channels.
Same for messages involving your credit or debit card: use the telephone number in the card itself, and ask the provider directly. Telephone numbers and links in messages are suspect, snd should not be used.
To report, per Apple: ”To report a suspicious SMS text message that looks like it's supposed to be from Apple, take a screenshot of the message and email the screenshot to reportphishing@apple.com.”
Other Apple resources:
- Identify legitimate emails from the App Store or iTunes Store.
- Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support
For Apple billing messages and related questions:
