These and other scams are ubiquitous.
Okay, some background: while Google search results are an increasingly-unreliable and problematic resource, you can search for the phone number and review the Google search results here. These particular spammers have also been using that same “$143.95” a whole lot, too. See if the search engine responses are listed at Apple or referencing Apple, or if the telephone number is listed in lots of “scam” discussions.
In this case, this is also not how credit card fraud detection and prevention is done. If Apple or another payment provider suspects fraud, they block the payment, and they then contact you and request you approve it.
There are other clues, such as the lack of names in the text. The better-grade scams do embed the recipient’s name, but the more mundane scams like this one just broadcast the ~same mail message text to the whole ‘net. This particular bunch was even using the same fraudulent payment amount for a long time. Or there’s another group running the same basic scam, and they’re using different amounts.
As for Apple Pay, that will usually send messages direct to your notifications and to your Wallet app when something happens that Apple really wants you to know about, too.
If you’re ever in doubt, look up the financial provider contact information from a trusted resource — in Wallet app for Apple Card, or on from the back of your payment card for physical payment cards, and not whatever contact info gets mailed or texted to you with these scams — and use that to contact your financial provider.
If you want some “practice” scams to review and learn about, look in the https://reddit.com/r/scams discussion subreddit.
Here is a line-by-line read-through of the problems in the text of this particular spam scam:
Apple Approval Notice
We have noticed that your Apple iCloud id
Word salad. It’s also called an “Apple Account”, formerly “Apple ID”.
The scammers haven’t caught up with the name change.
…was recently used at "APPLE STORE - CA" for $143.95, paid by Apple Pay Pre Authorization.
More word salad
Also some suspicious sign in request and apple pay activation request detected.
More word salad, typos, bad grammar, and all.
That looks like suspicious to us.
Yeah, even more mis-grammatical word salad
In order to maintain the security and privacy of your account we have placed those request on hold.
Wow, even more word salad.
If NOT you? talk to an Apple Representative.
Word salad.
When fraud is suspected, banks default to rejecting.
They’ll ask you to confirm your (blocked) purchase, not to block some suspected-fraudulent purchase.
Failing may lead to auto debit and charge will not be reversed.
Word salad, and also not how credit card billing and payment disputes work.
Call +1 805-{whatever} immediately to cancel this charge.
Yeah, because Apple is likely to be posting a not-toll-free telephone number, and — if you searched for it — a telephone number that goes to who-knows-where, and not associated with Apple.
Billing Department : Subscriptions and Billing - Official Apple Support
Hahahhahah no.
Have a great day!”
Also nope.
If this text message were from Biff’s Big Y Market and Pancake Restaurant’s Department of Fraud Prevention, I’d expect grammar and phrasing errors. Biff’s never been good at the grammars. For messages from Apple, not so much.
