iTunes store account hacked

well after weeks of keeping my iTunes acct disabled - i had it reactivated today and POOF -- the amount credited back to my account gone within minutes and i had to go though getting my .mac and .me accounts unlocked and changing the passwords --

this is enough !!!! itunes needs to make it so you can change your ID into it -- everytime this stupid account get hacked, it screws up my email and my phone !!!

Im am so sorry i ever supported apple and got this stupid iphone and actually thought that apple was different and cared about its customers !!! this is just dumb at this point !

I received an email invoice today for app downloads made on 7/16/11 that were not made nor authorized by me and were not downloaded on any of my devices. My giftcard balance was cleared out. The purchases were as follows, notice the pattern?

Artist: Kelefun

-HD Cam - 12 Mega, v1.0, Seller: Liu xiahua (4+)

-Lomo effects, v1.0, Seller: Liu xiahua (4+)

-Telescope Pro, v1.0, Seller: Liu xiahua (4+)

-Fisheye cam, v1.0, Seller: Liu xiahua (4+)

Artist: TopoMobile

-Night Shot, v1.2, Seller: John Knight (4+)

-Lemon Cam, v1.0, Seller: John Knight (4+)

Artist: Game Lingo

-Battery Doctor Pro - Max Your Battery Life, v5.5, Seller: Martin Smith (4+)

Artist: Plum LLC

-Telescope+, v1.1, Seller: Zhang Yong (4+)

For a total of $8.92 which left me with a giftcard balance of $0.11.

I feel violated and will not be inputting my credit card information into itunes for quite some time. I submitted a help request and would like to have my money back, but from reading previous posts, am worried about it being lost again. Have also changed passwords, security information, and everything else I could think of to secure my account and information, but am doubtful of what will come of it.

Nightowl/Kitten/Paula...

"I feel violated ..." ((me too))

"this is enough !!!!" ((I agree but the world isnt listening or acting))

"What's a good alternative to iTunes ?" ((there is none if you ever intend to own an iDevice/pod/phone or buy their music/audio/ebooks/movies/apps... only an iTunes account will register/update/meld with your idevice fully as Apple intended to 'close circuit' the product, sorry))

I feel for you 😟

Im also tired. I wrote Macworld and was ignored; they deleted my user member letter on the subject, if they ever actually posted it. I wrote four of the Mac based podcast authors I have followed for the last four years and no response. Mastercard did not acknowledge receiving my fax on the theft of funds from my CC account they hold. I shared the youTube link and friends didnt bother to affirm it in FB. The TV interview feels like it will go nowhere and the right things were not emphasized and highlighted. Apple continues to ignore and debase users, making them out to be the problem. Im tired. Nothing changes until someone loses money, but thats unnecessary.

Listen Jobs: Apple needs to change the End User Agreement to address this 3 year old ongoing problem without further alienating and isolating victims. (victims read bottom of page one iTunes EUA: everyone who installs iTunes agrees to Apple's declaration that they will be holding you responsible for any unauthorized use of the iTunes account. No wonder why the only response they have to us is 'its your fault, silly user') Will he listen? ah no, doubtful. In fact I wouldnt be surprised if i was cursed and 'forever removed' from the "light of Apple", thats how far this hits home. I could care less if I ever work for them, so no worries on that front.

I had hoped the TV interview would have higlighted the main solution: "remove all forms of your payment information, whether Win or Mac user, whether already hacked or not, or whether you are about to open a brand new iTunes account or not".

People who havent lost money yet arent reading this forum, nor are they aware. Even after being hacked, only a small percentage of people will find their way here to see 1000's of others have also been victimized. The solutions written here do no one any good in preventing them from being ripped off because its already too late.

If Apple stays silent for their 'image sake', traditional news media barely whisper about it, the Mac podcasters and 'high brow Macworld magazine" entities sluff it off as Chicken Little Syndrome, and the youTube vids dont do any good, then why bother? I wont any more; I leave it to you fellow victims to come up with a way to try and make this a big enough issue to the outside world in your circles. Ive neutralized 6 computers worth of accounts in the family, 'friends' politely declined thinking its not necessary, and now I am done.

TV interview: I get the feeling the air left the sails when when Apple 'declined to be interviewed' , sending a form letter response that again literally blames users' failures for account breaches... no mention of the hacking.

The station's alternative to the Apple interview rejection was to talk to a "white hat hacker" of a local security firm whose opinion was "installed malware or crooks using users' previously compromised user/passwords from a different internet account they have online, since most people use only one ID for all their online interactions". Self proclaimed "IT Professional" nicknamed Flabeo summarizes his condescension of the interview by a closing swipe that states, and I quote "..the weakest link in your online tech security is most likely YOU!"

Thats being 'professional'?

Marginalized all over again, "turned into the crazy cat guy babbling on about something that isnt really happening". I shouldnt have spoken up and volunteered, is what it feels like, and that it wont make a difference.

Last mention of the matter from me... any future victims arriving here reading this, you have my unspoken sympathy, good luck but dont hold your breath on anything....and the following:

Protection instructions, in case your friends have not been hacked yet: http://preview.tinyurl.com/3qu2b2f

The TV interview transcript and comment section, for what its worth: http://preview.tinyurl.com/3ps6zkl

The TV interview video, for some reason removed from the station only a day after the suppertime broadcast:

Video: iTunes concerns . If it ever is relinked I might come back and addendum to this post but, I doubt it on both accounts.

Its times like these I regret ever having owned Apple stock (still non dividend paying I see), having gotten Apple Product Professional accreditation, or so faithfully touting their virtues over the decades. Its clear that a podcast quote of "Apple is not your friend; their sole desire is to make money any way they can" rings true now more than ever; it is wielded on Apple Friends like a knife at any moment or instance.

Add me to the list also.

I got an iPod Touch for my birthday in June. I wanted to get a couple of free apps, so I did. A few days ago, I noticed a receipt in my email inbox, from Apple, stating that I had purchased a Dutch language app. I switched off all in app purchases, and I have ONLY been downloading apps that were free. But there was this purchase for this app for £5.99.

Like so many others on here, I'm very tight with my security, and I made sure each time I downloaded an app that it was free. So thisisn't a mistake. I emailed apple immediately regarding the matter, they replied just short of the 24 hours that they promised. Gave me the usual bumf about changing my password which Idid, be more careful, yada yada yada. Thewy also told me Ihadmy account disabled, and I would now never be able to use that card with my account again. It wasmy partner's debit card.

Get this - they said it would be negligent of them to let me use that card again! They then proceeded to tell me to pay for things in the future using my PayPal account. How dumb do they think I am?! PayPal links to your bank account, stupid! I'd be no safer doing that than I wouldusing my cardagain, in fact they'd have further access to my PayPal account, which is also set up for selling on eBay. And by reading around, gift cards definitely aren't the answer either.

It's only been £5.99 so far, which Apple refunded immediately, but very reluctantly like others said. Also checked with the bank, who have said that becausse my partner gave me his carddetailswillingly it wasnot fraud, also Apple hasalready refundedthe money, which is fair enough. It caused my partner tgo go over the overdraft and because they don't sdeem it to be fraud, he isn't going to get those charges back.

There is NO WAY I am going to be using any form of credit or debit card with apple again, if I ever do go back to them I will purchase a gift carddirectly from Apple themselves then if it STILL gets drained then apple will be completely liable for getting my credit back.

Oh, and BTW, I emailed apple after changing my password, who had been emailing me daily about how am I getting on and such. After I told them I had done all they asked, I wrote to them and asked them that it was all well and goodchanging my password and refunding me albeit with reluctance, but what were they going to do about thisblatant breach of security? It doesn't matter how often you change your password - if the hacker got it once, he can definitely get it again. I have been ignored ever since I sent this email.

Apple this is just not good enough! I demand answers right now, as does everyone else here!

I don't know how but appearently someone has gotten into my account. I was able to get in the other day and now I can't. I tried entering my security info and it said it was wrong. I tried reseting my password and never got an e-mail. I found a receipt for an iSTAR Drummer app which I did not purchase. There was no e-mail asking me if I wanted to change my e-mail address or anything, but it looks like it's all been changed. I told a friend and when he checked his account someone had gotten his, too. I had to make a new account to complain. I guess I'll have to call Apple tomorrow if they're even gonna bother to listen.

iSTAR Drummer and iSTAR Drummer HD were the apps that were bought with my account as well. Apple did refund me for it (just $1.98, but still) and the refunds show up on my transactions though I am still waiting for the balance to reflect it. Did you get any e-mails form apple about the purchases being made from a device not previously associated with your account?

Nope. No message about anything, just that I supposedly purchased the 2 apps that I know I ddn't. And I can't get in AT ALL. My security questions aren't there, it says my birthday is wrong, and I'm not receiving any e-mail about changing my password. If I give Apple the receipt # could they trace it?

They may still be able to help you if you have the order number of your last legitimate purchase that you can provide them. Definitely contact them. I don't know if was just lucky or what but I found Apple to be very responsive once my request made it to them (took a little over a day). And again, I was trying to recoup just $1.98.

I just found mine hacked this morning. All kinds of applications for cams. I sent something in to the support people so hopefully they get back to me soon. I can't believe they're not doing anything about this if it's been going on this long..........

I had the same problem. Never had problem until used iTunes voucher that I got free with my new MacBook pro. Within days account was down to 59p from £60!

Taken about a week and a half and 4 emails from me and 1 from guy at apple store over the phone.

Now my Id is disabled and I can't update or download any apps. Used fast lane(joke title) to get resonse re how to enable my account again.

Problem app was Kingdom Conquest.

iTunes need a phone number and people you can speak to, using email makes you feel all alone and you never know if/when anything has been done, communication from them is terrible.

Still awaiting account enable....

I do have the number for my last purchase and for the hacked purchase. When I looked up the app there was a message in the reviews from someone saying that their account had been hacked. I don't purchase much very often but I had about $10 left from the card I got for Christmas and I'm not gonna get another card for my new account if I'm just gonna get hacked again.

Please don't anybody beat yourself up about it being even remotely possible that you have let your own security standards slip. It is NOT your fault. My account was hacked once, then disabled by Apple and hacked again while in theory it was disabled!

Apple/iTunes (are they one and the same or not?) have been woeful, negligent even, in failing to deal with this. It's costing either them or us a lot of money. Why don't they shut down the bugs that allow this to happen?

Everything points to there being a rogue element within their own organisation that has got access to people's accounts even when in theory they're shut down to the real users.

REPEAT: this is NOT your fault, it's down to Apple/iTunes to sort it out. The more all of us who have been victims draw attention to this the better the chance that they will have very unwelcome publicity. It does Apple's reputation a lot of harm to leave this matter unresolved.

Don't EVER store credit card details on your account. When you buy something, add your CC details but do not allow iTunes/App Store to retain the info. Use a completely different email address from what you use for anything else. Have a completely different password from what you use for anything else. Change the password - and perhaps even the email address - as frequently as you can. Be alert for any emails from Apple that tell you your security settings have been reset - that's the early warning system that somebody is trying to access your account. And warn all your friends to follow these steps too.

Ya this just happened to me. I had around 180$ on my account two days ago waiting on the OS X Lion update. And i now i discover that i have 30 cents left on my account and the rest of the money was spent of Kingdom conquest. I better get my refund because it is disturbing to see a company like apple have such problems while not keeping the customers happy. Apple have completely ruined their reputation and they must act quickly or else they could get destroyed.

Got hacked, too. Someone (A Matt -- based on the computer he activated on my account) downloaded a lot of Tupac and many episodes of Dexter. Got the same old, same old response a number of days after the fact from Apple support. My account is locked down, which ***** because I can't get any more books on my iPad until this gets resolved.

As a stockholder and a former tech magazine editor, I'm not amused. If I'm not happy with the outcome, I plan to contact the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office and ask them to investigate.

I just checked my e-mail and found a message saying that there was another purchse, from a computer or device not associated with with my ID and with it was a different ID and were it addressed me was something weird but not my name.