How do I verify whether a text is legitimate or scam?

BobLom wrote:

Hi my wife received this as a text and we would like to know if it is legit or a scam, thanks!

Apple Account Security Alert

We have detected unusual activity on your Apple ID associated with a transaction at “Apple Store - CA” for $143.95, made via Apple Pay (pre-authorization). Additionally, we observed suspicious sign-in attempts and an Apple Pay activation request.

SCAM!

If you search these forums, you will find many reports of others receiving messages like this. If memory serves, the alleged charges were for the exact same amount, and I bet that if we looked up those threads, we would find that it was the same scam message, word for word.

📞 Call Apple Support: +18************29

🔗 Visit: (link)

I would not trust either the phone number or the link. It is possible that the link is legitimate, the better to fool you into thinking that the phone number is, too, so that some of the intended victims will trust it and call the criminals. But I would treat both as suspect.

If you think there might be a real problem, look up Apple's official, legitimate contact information for yourself – so you know you are contacting Apple, not criminals.

Failure to act promptly may result in the charge being processed and irreversible.

Standard scammer M.O. – panic victims into acting without thinking.

It’s a scam.

Simply block, report and delete the message.

In closing:

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! 👋🏼😉

You might start here by viewing charges.

Get help with charges from apple.com/bill - Apple Support

I checked the website link you posted. It looks legitimate to me, but I’m not confident enough to actually visit the site.

Additional resources:

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

Identify legitimate emails from the App Store or iTunes Store - Apple Support

Hi, BobLom, I just received a text that told me the exact same message and even the EXACT same charge amount ( $143.95). The phone number they gave me was area code "808" and ended in "23", but everything else was exactly the same. Smells like "scam rot" to me!

Oops - just saw this. Does the telephone number start with +1808? If so, this applies, and a scam is occurring.

Apple phishing scam - Apple Community

sberman wrote:

I checked the website link you posted. It looks legitimate to me, but I’m not confident enough to actually visit the site.

Same here. I think it's a form of creative camouflage by the scammers.

If so, they'll lose a few victims because some of the people who receive the message will use the link, contact Apple, and be alerted to the scam by Apple. They'll gain other victims, because people will see that link, and conclude (incorrectly) that if it is legitimate, the phone number must be.

Additional resources:

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

Identify legitimate emails from the App Store or iTunes Store - Apple Support