Apple Approval Notice text message scam

i got this text today 9/25. i said let me google this. it seemed sketchy…

That’s a classic scam.

Block the scammer immediately!

If you receive a suspicious email or SMS text message that looks like it's supposed to be from Apple, please email it to reportphishing@apple.com. 

Learn how to ▷ Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams.

Good luck! 👋🏼😉

I received same text today. Interesting that they are using the same $amount 🤦‍♀️. Anyway, I definitely didn’t click on the link. It looked suspicious. However I did call. Wanted to see if they answered and what was said. As soon as they wanted to verify who I was, I started asking questions. Then told them I wanted to look into a few things and then I’d call them back. I didn’t give them any information at all. None. Glad too

You were not billed for anything. Like Smilin-Brian said in his reply, this is a phishing attempt. His comment links to Apple's own article on how to recognise and avoid such scams.

I just got one of these (for the first time), so I simply screencapped the message before blocking the sender and reporting as junk, and then I emailed the screencapped message to reportphishing@apple.com, as suggested in their article. Pretty immediately obviously non-legit:

[Edited by Moderator]

I got almost the same identical text message from a weird email:

Apple Approval Notice

We have noticed that your Apple iCloud id was recently used at "APPLE STORE - CA" 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 88******** immediately to cancel this charge.

Billing Department : Subscriptions and Billing - Official Apple Support

Have a great day!

[Edited by Moderator]

What if, like a fool, I called the number provided. I disconnected before there was even an answer. How bad did I mess up?

I will be reporting the phishing text immediately of course.

Apple doesn't monitor your purchases like that. = scam

Fraudsters are getting very good at imitating Apple messages and sometimes the only indication in an email is very subtle. Have a look at this thread. Someone registered an Apple ID with my em… - Apple Community It can be very hard to tell from an email alone if it is authentic. The best way to check is to use an independent way through Apple's own resources to confirm what the communication claims. Scams (e-mail, text messages, and phone calls) are getting very good at closely imitating true Apple communications. Always be cautious. These support articles have some guidelines:

About identifying legitimate emails from the App Store and iTunes Store --> Identify legitimate emails from the App Store or iTunes Store - Apple Support

Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support

Avoid scams when you use Apple Cash --> Avoid scams when you use Apple Cash - Apple Support

About Gift Card Scams --> About Gift Card Scams - Official Apple Support

If you are uncertain about a message and a resource provided in that message, do not click on any links in the message. Try to use an Apple resource you know is valid to independently verify what the message is claiming. Go to a support article page on apple.com and use the instructions in the article to verify though Apple itself, or use an Apple device feature such as Settings or an Apple app. To ask Apple start at this web page: Official Apple Support

- Apple e-mails address you by your real name, not something like "Dear Customer", "Dear Client", or an e-mail address* However, having your actual name is not proof this isn’t phishing. Compromised databases may have your name and address in them.

- Apple e-mails originate from @apple.com or @itunes.com but it is possible to spoof a sender address. "Apple email related to your Apple ID account always comes from appleid@id.apple.com." - About your Apple ID email addresses - Apple Support

- Set your email to display Show Headers or Show Original to view Received From. Apple emails originate from IP addresses starting with "17.".

- Mouse-over links to see if they direct to real Apple web sites. Do not click on them as this just tells the spammer they have a working e-mail address in their database. If you are unsure, contact Apple using a link from the Apple.com web site, not one in an email.

- Phishing emails may include account suspension or similar threats in order to panic you into clicking on a link without thinking. They may report a fake purchase in order to infuriate you into rashly clicking on a false link to report a problem. March 2018 post by Niel There was a fraudulent order on my apple … - Apple Community - "Emails saying that your Apple ID has been locked or disabled are always phishing. If one actually gets disabled, its owner will be told when they try logging into it instead of through email."

- Apple will not ask for personal information in an e-mail and never for a social security number.

- Scams may have bad grammar or spelling mistakes.

- Apple will not phone you unless it is in response to a request from you to have them call you.

* Exception: I got email saying my ID is expired! Does… - Apple Community

Forward email attempts as an attachment (in MacOS Mail use the paperclip icon) to: reportphishing@apple.com then delete it.

If this is with regard to a supposed purchase, this Apple article has relevant information and web links for checking if you really have made a purchase or paid for a subscription: If you see ‘itunes.com/bill‘ or an unfamiliar charge on your bank, credit card, or debit statement - Purchases made under Family Sharing might be charged to the organizer's card but will not appear under the organizer's purchase history or subscriptions. Ask family members about those or check your receipts. --> If you see 'apple.com/bill' on your billing statement - Apple Support Apple will email a receipt to the Family Organizer if a purchase is made on a card held by the Family Organizer. This will have the Apple ID of the purchaser, which you should recognize, but won't have specific about what was purchased.

That is not Apple , block the sender she ignore the message , Apple never contact users

Yep, you and several million other people. Do not interact with the message or the sender.

I just got a text saying almost the exact same thing. The amount listed in my text was also exactly $143.95!

And I see your comment was from Aug 6th, so considering today is Sept 18th, these criminals have been at this for at least a month and a half now - this needs to be stopped!!!

KMP6276 wrote:

this needs to be stopped!!!

It's a case of whack-a-mole. You can report it to Apple using the mail address I provided in my earlier response but frankly even if Apple can stop one (and I don't know how they can do that with text messages), another one will pop up. We are living in an age where you have to be a smart consumer and this is the 21st century version of cons who have been around for centuries.

Signboy77 wrote:

What if, like a fool, I called the number provided. I disconnected before there was even an answer. How bad did I mess up?

As you gave out no information, there was no harm.

It is a scam. Do not interact with the message or the sender.

That link is a legitimate Apple link. The phone number included in those scam messages will not be legitimate.

the "63" at the beginning of the phone number is a country code for the Philippines. It's a scam. Block it.