Jennyzazs wrote:
This is not my charge I haven’t used Apple Pay please dispute this charge thank you
Some things to consider about these messages.
- Be aware of social engineering and phishing. Folks trying to get payment info or Apple Account credentials or money directly. The sextortion “pervert” scam tries to get money directly. Well, that one tries to get cryptocurrency. Others pretend to be the Apple Account login portal to collect your credentials.
- Most payment card fraud detection systems do not operate as this scam suggests. They don’t hold and then release a payment if you don’t call, they hold a payment and will only release if you call. Apple certainly doesn’t do the countdown-to-release, nor has any other payment card I’ve ever met. They all hold until you call and release.
- As far as payment card companies are concerned, there is no such thing as a charge that cannot be reversed. Not if they can help it.
- Apple will mention their Apple Card payment card if there are issues, and Apple won’t be contacting you about other payment cards. And nowhere here is the payment card or last four of the account listed.
- If you are still concerned about a message like this, look up the number for Apple or whichever other payment card you’re using
- We’re not Apple Support, we’re other users like you. We can’t access your Apple Card account, nor your Apple Account, your billing info, nor receive a fraud report. No more than can the senders of that spam scam.
- Sending email addresses, and calling telephone numbers, and sending SMS numbers can all be faked.
- Apple spelling, phrasing, and grammar is usually quite good. Messages from Biff’s Emporium and Pancake House might not be clearly worded or well-phrased, because Biff isn’t good at the grammars, but Apple usually is.
- Apple doesn’t send SMS messages, they’ll send notifications, or they’ll display a message in Wallet app. Or both.
- Apple and most other payment providers will typically use toll-free numbers.
A review of clues of problems from some of the usual text of this spam scam:
We have noticed that your Apple id
Apple recently renamed “Apple ID” to “Apple Account”, and the spammers haven’t caught up with that.
was recently used at "APPLE STORE"
Yeah, most payment providers will offer more details about the attempted purchase. And Apple will usually use better grammar and formatting.
for $143.95, paid by Apple Pay Pre Authorization.
Apple Account balances can be used with the Apple Store, but not with Apple Pay, and “Pre Authorization” is meaningless word salad.
You’ll also find lots of discussions of $143.95 around the ‘net because the spammers have commonly been using that same sum for months, though they (or some other scammers spamming similar scams) have occasionally been using different amounts.
Also some suspicious sign in request and apple pay activation request detected.
Bad grammar, and word salad.
That looks like suspicious to us.
The “That looks like suspicious to us” is word salad.
In order to maintain the security and privacy of your account we have placed those request on hold. If NOT you? Please Call +1 850-85*-**** to talk to an Apple Representative.
If you search for that number (pr whatever other number the spammers are using right now), you’ll find it is not associated with Apple anywhere on the ‘net.
Failing may lead to auto debit and charge will not be reversed. Call +1 850-85*-**** immediately to cancel this charge.
More poor grammar, and more word salad.
Also not the way fraud detection works.
And again, “auto debit and charge will not be reversed” is not how payment cards work.
Want more info? There are twelve pages of discussions of this spam scam here, as well.
And as mentioned, look up contact info for Apple at the Apple website, and call them to confirm. Not the number in the spam. Here is a list of contact numbers posted at the Apple website:
As for the other reply here, I’m not sure what Syvarwolf is referring to with the region-related info.
