How can I handle unauthorized bank charges on my Apple Account?

It happens when the physical card has been compromised by using it at a terminal having a skimmer installed. They are frequently located at Gas Stations and ATM's where the scammer has uninterrupted access to the terminals. In this case, you will not see the purchase in your purchase history and there is no option for a refund since it was not made on your account.

You would need to contact your bank to dispute the charge and they will also need to issue you a new card to secure your account. The card numbers are not stored in your Apple Wallet, so there is no chance that they would have been disclosed there. It is not even possible for you to see what your card numbers are by viewing it in the Wallet.

The person that was able to get your card numbers has added it to their account, although identifying this person is impossible as there are no positive verification requirements to create an Apple Account. Retailers are required to accept the credit card transactions without positive identification and that is part of their agreement with the PNO (VISA, Mastercard, American Express, etc) when those payment methods are used. They have taken on the responsibility of dealing with fraudulent charges and the CFPB makes sure they are doing that. If your credit card company is not helping you, then you can file a complaint with the CFPB here and in most case you will get a response within 15 days.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

I am not sure if Apple will refund this purchase, but even if they do, your card is still compromised and future charges are still possible, not just from Apple.

The charge on your card may be for more than one item.

Apple cannot magically access a card if you or someone else have not in some way added it to your or their account.

If you are the Organizer in a Family sharing group, and have Purchase sharing turned on, purchases initiated by other members of the Family Sharing group will be charged to your payment method.

Also, do you share your card with anyone?

You can verify any charges at https://reportaproblem.apple.com

You can check what cards are added to your account by following the steps in the support document linked below.

click here ➜ If you need to change or update your Apple Account payment method - Apple Support

However, I find it quite odd that a thief with a skimmer would add the card to their Apple account. That seems awfully convoluted when they just want money off of it, not to be buying things from Apple.