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Level 1

15 points

Unauthorized iTunes Charges!

Holy crap! I just woke up this AM to find that iTunes has charged my PayPal account, in five separate transactions a total of $173.15, in items that I NEVER purchased!!!! When I checked my email this morning I saw the following charges:

@ 8:30 AM (EST) - $3.98
@ 9:05 AM (EST) - $40.77
@ 10:21 AM (EST) - $44.84
@ 10:36 AM (EST) - $41.82

I noticed these in my email and immediately called PayPal, since I know I am charged through them. In the course of speaking with a PayPal rep, another charge came through:

@ 11:29 AM (EST) - $41.74

That was WHILE I was on the phone with them!!!!

At 11:33 AM the PayPal rep canceled my billing agreements with iTunes, in the hopes that no more charges can come through, and I went ahead and changed my iTunes password to a different one, by resetting it. I also took any payment methods on file with Apple and changed them to none. I had previously changed the CC on file, to a different card, while on the phone with PayPal, but after hanging up with them, changed it to "none" instead, so that Apple would not have my CC info on their servers.

PayPal tells me to contact Apple, and from what I have read online, Apple offers no phone support. I also found that this has happened to a LOT of other people recently. Exact same scenerio. People found unauthorized charges, that just kept coming through, until they were able to change their billing method and/or cancel their cards. Some people had their charges pulled directly from their bank accounts. Obviously something is going on through Apple for this to be happening to so many people, in exactly the same manner. All had a small charge first (mine was $3.98), then a series of larger charges that just kept coming in intervals until they were able to stop it. Thus far, since making all my changes, it appears the charges have stopped, but I would Apple has a solution for those of us who were "robbed" via their iTunes store!

How the heck does one speak with a real person regarding this. This is ridiculous. I have been an Apple devotee since 1985, but to have this happen and not be able to resolve it would totally turn my off from Apple forever! 😟

I rarely purchase music from iTunes, and the only reason I even have an account with them is to get apps for my iPhone. Most of what I download is free stuff, but I will, on occasion download a 99¢ app here or there. But, NEVER have I downloaded $173.15 in just a few hours! Crazy.

And, I'm sure there are those that will say, oh it was probably your kids or someone else in your home! Nope! Don't have any kids here, just me and my husband, and he doesn't even know how to TURN ON a computer, much less use one to make a purchase from iTunes. He hates technology.

iOS 4

Posted on Aug 8, 2010 9:56 AM

Best reply

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Posted on Aug 8, 2010 10:17 AM

Is Paypal going to refund the money for these disputed charges?

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25 replies

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Aug 8, 2010 7:42 PM in response to printergirl

That stinks.
Just FYI for the future, you don't need to make a new iTunes account. Just update your current account with any new info.

printergirl Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 8, 2010 7:48 PM in response to Chris CA

Of course I don't! I have used my iTunes (the current and true one) for many years now and updated it as needed. No problems. This account is obviously one I had created many, many years ago (long before I got my iPhone and iPad that I rely on iTunes for) and had forgotten all about! I was absolutely shocked to see that address at the top of the receipts that just came through! All along I had been assuming these were somehow tied to my current, active account. Not so, it appears. So, how did someone in an Asian country get information for an account I have not logged into in years and years?!?!?!?!?!

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Aug 8, 2010 7:56 PM in response to printergirl

See this post by fpskukhusq8134 on Mac Rumors.
-> I think my iTunes account was hacked

printergirl Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 8, 2010 9:11 PM in response to Chris CA

Chris, don't think I haven't run across that bit of info. I have been obsessing about this for over 12 hours now...it has ruined my Sunday. But, there are a couple of things with that particular scenario that don't jive with my experience.

1) If taobao changed my account info, then why was I able to log in with the password I thought it was, based on the last time I logged into that account many years ago? I seriously doubt they changed it, let the person continue to download for several hours, and then changed it back again to my original password again! That defies all logic! I can see there is even a pending charge for $37 some odd dollar that Apple wants me to pay, since they couldn't get a sixth charge through when PP canceled the billing agreement for me this AM.

2) For computer authorizations it shows only ONE computer authorized. I am assuming that is mine?

Based on the actions that they take at taobao, described in the thread you sent, it doesn't seem to fit. I can't imagine they would change my password, wait hours until they can no longer access my funds, and change it back for me to check 12 hours later!

Plus, and here is the big plus, how would they get account information for basically, for all practical purposes, except on Apple's servers, a "dead" account that has not been accessed for many years? Not from key logging, or any issue on my end that would have caused someone to be able to access my account. I have never signed into that account from my iPad or iPhone, ever either! So where did that account log in information they have access to come from?

It all just seems a bit to suspect to fall into the taebeo scenerio. Others, that possibly fell victim to that, reported they could not log into their account because the passwords had been reset.

I am looking at the purchase history on this account now. The last time a purchase was made on this account, before today, was in 2007 it looks like. I did make that purchase, which ironically was for "Ave Maria" (the song)...LOL! Show you what my purchasing habits are. Not freakin' comic books and games!

Message was edited by: printergirl

Aug 9, 2010 5:51 AM in response to printergirl

My close friend got hit last night for 220$ all for games off itunes for his iphone all in Japanese or something cant ready any of them. Had paypal hooked to his checking card and is already battling to get this fixed.

Itunes if you read through their new agreement absorbs themselves of all responsibility of this happening wither their fault or your own by saying since they take precautions to protect you, you are now using at your own risk.

Good look guys.

Aug 9, 2010 6:29 AM in response to rjohnsonst

update talked to apple itunes department (they do exist!) and they immediately refunded his money to his paypal account and paypal refunded to the card it was charged to.

here is a number for itunes at apple if it helps and im sure it will they gave no hassle!

1-800-694-7466

printergirl Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 9, 2010 6:37 AM in response to rjohnsonst

That is Apple iPhone support. How did you get them to help you with this issue. They just want to know information about my iPhone, which is long out of service/warranty dates.

printergirl Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 9, 2010 6:41 AM in response to rjohnsonst

{quote:title=rjohnsonst wrote:}Itunes if you read through their new agreement absorbs themselves of all responsibility of this happening wither their fault or your own by saying since they take precautions to protect you, you are now using at your own risk.{quote}

Sorry, that is BS. I own an online company, the does online sales. We take precautions to protect our customer's CC information when they place orders. We are required to by our merchant account. If their information gets out there, we are responsible!

Sorry, Apple admits to a security breach last month, yet says only 400 customers were affected and now this happens to me, after 20+ years of being online, with never a breach, because I am so diligent in how I handle my information. Not buying it.

Plus, if this is a "new" agreement, when was it put in place? As I said, the account that was used hasn't been accessed for over three years, so if it was after that, then I technically never "agreed" to it!

printergirl Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 9, 2010 6:52 AM in response to printergirl

Okay, update. I just received an email from a customer service person in iTune Support. While parts of it where "canned" responses, I can tell from the letter in its entirety, that whomever read it at Apple, is returning a personal response to me. I am impressed, actually. Now we will see how they handle the charges.

The CS rep states: "I understand that you have already contacted PayPal and that is the right action to take. You should also ask them to launch an investigation into the security of your account. Under the circumstances the iTunes Store cannot reverse the charges for those purchases without chargeback orders from your card issuer. I checked your account and see that we have received a chargeback from PayPal, so it seems that you may receive a reversal for all unauthorized purchase."

The rep has clearly looked at the orders tied to this account and can see that they are in an Asian language, so we shall see how it goes from here. I love the use of their words "you MAY received a reversal"...LOL. Wouldn't want to promise it, I guess.

The rest of the letter is the usual "canned" responses about account security, blah, blah, blah...which is a joke, since I haven't accessed this account in many, many years. They make it sound like "I" gave out my personal access information to iTunes! Now how or why would someone do that, especially since there has been NO ACTIVITY on the account since 2007 and very little (about three of four purchases of small items) before that even.

Oh, and for those that were wondering, the DO INDEED disable the account! You have to jump through hoops to get it enabled again it seems. 😟 On this account, I could care less, since I never use it, so no biggie for me, but if it was my main account, looks like it would be a real pain to get reactivated. 😟

Aug 9, 2010 7:56 AM in response to printergirl

i first went through 1800 apl care used ext 70 and said generic responses to it iphone windows it talks about having apl care warranty etc just ignore it, soon as the person answers tell them u have charges to your itunes account that you did not make. they will ask for the serial number of your iphone and the email addy attached to it. they will then xfer you to an itunes rep which is the # i listed. they reviewed the charges could see they were all done at 2am and that most of them were in a foreign language, she spoke to a supervisor right then and with in minutes i had notification from paypal that they had been reversed and refunded to the credit card on file was a very painless process actually.

to the other poster the new agreement went into effect 4.1.2010

Unauthorized iTunes Charges!