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Got receipt for an unauthorized purchase, please help!

Let's be clear, the only iDevice we own is a single iPHone 3GS:


Last night I received an invoice stating I downloaded a free App called Texas Poker from KAMAGAMES LTD. The app, which I have never downloaded (it isn't in my iTunes nor on my phone), has made two in-app purchases:


Texas Poker, 500k chips, Seller: KAMAGAMES LTD 9.99


Texas Poker, 500k chips, Seller: KAMAGAMES LTD 9.99


After taxes, this total invoice comes out to 22.76$, which is the total amount I had left in my account from a gift card I had redeemed a couple of months earlier.


I have never downloaded such an app, therefore these in-app purchases are impossible for me to have made. I reported this by e-mail to iTunes support but it's the weekend and I really want this settled ASAP.


Thank god I did not have a credit card linked to my account.


What can I do from this point on?


All of this follows my installing of an app called Paperboy:Special Delivery, which is free and does not allow for in-app purchases.


I do not gamble and NEVER play poker.


How can I get my money back from this illegal, unauthorized purchase?

iTunes Store-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.5.8), An illegal, unauthorized purchase

Posted on May 1, 2011 9:23 AM

Reply
137 replies

Feb 20, 2012 7:31 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Same deal for me. I received a $25 iTunes card for my birthday, and redemeemed it Thursday evening, 16 February. I had a little trouble redeeming the card due to some of the card number's characters being scratched off after scratching off the number with a coin.


Didn't even use the balance until last night, Sunday 19 February. I purchased a $1.99 fitness app. Then this morning I got the e-mail about a purchase with a device not associated with my account. Checked my account and found the same Galaxy Empire app and a $19.99 in-app purchase, leaving me with barely over $1 in my account right now.


Also like others, my CC was removed from the account. I changed my password immediately and notified Apple thru Express Lane. Now I'm waiting on an e-mail back from them. I originally clicked the Chat Later option to create the case, as I was on my way out for work this morning. When I got to the office I clicked the link in the e-mail, at which point it asked me to add additional info and then said they would e-mail back later. Sooo where was the chat option?


I really don't get this. I've had this account for several years now and never had any problems. How does this crap happen??

Feb 27, 2012 12:44 PM in response to PatrickGSR94

This has been going on for awhile...see the discussion thread at "itunes store account hacked". It's 83 pages long.


I had over $100 stolen from my gift card balance on Saturday. Oh joy!


Now my account is disabled by apple for 48 hours and my credit card is banned. supposedly, they credited my account with the unauthorized charges. Still, Apple is ignoring the size of this issue and treated me like it's my fault and that somehow my account was "compromised" as in it was just me as apposed to a problem with Apple.


If it was just me, maybe, but 83 pages (and 9 here) of complaints.


I sent a note to NPR and USA Today, maybe they will take up the story and run with it.

Feb 27, 2012 12:49 PM in response to cagrimes

Yeah I posted in that thread shortly after this one, and since I posted there on Monday last week, it's gotten at least a hundred more responses. It was on page 72 I think when I posted.


We should get everyone to send something to major news outlets. I will try to if I have time. I already posted about it last week on my local NBC affiliate's Facebook page.

Feb 27, 2012 12:56 PM in response to PatrickGSR94

I am a loyal fan, but this time it is good to report this to news media. It seems that Apple has been trying to imply that the mistake is ours.

I hate it when their support signature is "Have a good karma". I am also sick seeing all the top apps with games and freemium games.


my password is secure, and I almost never use iTunes. I am m pretty sure their database was hacked, but they just won't admit that.


JL

Feb 27, 2012 8:06 PM in response to mcfmullen

Same issue of unauthorized purchases that practically zeroed out my gift card acct. Checked purchase history and said purchases were made on 12/17/11 a day after I purchased one or two songs someone had hacked into my acct and used up the remaining funds. The hacker purchased two albums and a couple songs but you can tell that the recorded purchase trend did not match my trend of purchases over the past 2 years if you were to look at my history.


I reported the itunes issue on this discussion board to the Turko files. Hope I'll get a call back. This has been on-going with itunes for some time now and is unfortunate. Definitely a security issue that needs to be made aware to the public through the media.

Mar 3, 2012 11:19 AM in response to mcfmullen

Happened to me this morning but I was lucky. So far no money taken.


Here's my story.


Got an email from Apple that the Texas Poker App from Kamagames had been downloaded from a new device. Called Apple support and they confirmed that my account had been hacked but that nothing was purchased (the poker app was free) to include no in-game purchases. Strangely enough, my credit card had been removed from the account. I thought that perhaps Apple had done so in a proactive effort to protect me. I was told by the support person that they did not so somehow this is tied to the hacking event in another way.


Changed all passwords and removed credit cards associated with other iTunes accounts that I have. Apple offered little other support but I assume they are looking into this in the background and for security purposes are not telling me? One can hope anyway.


Good luck everyone. Hope they figure this out soon and are able to put a stop to it.

Mar 10, 2012 6:02 PM in response to mcfmullen

iTunes account hacked.


Dear all,


I have had my account hacked. All US$ hacked by apps I did not even download(I SWEAR). I wrote to apple but no reply. I believe Apple is fair and will investigate how our hard earned money we trust in itunes disappeared.


My receipt no is 112029661185 where $35.96 gone to some app purchase

Also receipt no 114030423517 where $99.99 gone to some app purchase.


All done by In-app purchase by a seller boyaa Interactive International Limited.


I believe that Apple should know what is the situation better and give us a reply..


I dare not buy anything from Itunes store any more until I get a official reply from Apple/itunes.


HELP......JUSTICE ...... HELP. Steve Jobs, I believe you will flip in your grave....

May 14, 2012 3:25 AM in response to mcfmullen

My girlfriend just had this happen. Same M.O. In-app purchase almost zeroes out the credit in her account. No credit card on file, so no risk of further purchases. She only lost £7 GBP thankfully. Waiting on Apple's response.


I've never had this happen and have never had any credit on my account- its just a credit card account.


I suspect somewhere in Apple's infrastructure there's a gigantic hole.


Neil.

May 17, 2012 2:27 PM in response to mcfmullen

I too had it happen I had paypal enabled for payment but I learned real quick after 8 charges totalling aprox $100. I dispusted the charges with paypal and called Itunes and they said they would reverse the charges and they actually emailed me a conformation number which I then provided to paypal. I should be refunded within 7-10 Business Days.🙂. Also best advice for securing your account make you password 16+ charcters. And combine upper and lowercase letters and numbers.

Jan 17, 2013 2:30 AM in response to mcfmullen

Happy to see that i'm not alone, yesterday i received a message from apple stating that there was a purchase from an unautorizded computer, when i check my itunes credit was zero (before it was around 28€), then i received 2 email for 2 puchases (some chinese app by Lediaitong Technology Co., Ltd.) in the two bills it was stated that my credit card was used but i've just contacted my credit card company and there's no trace of those two transactions. I've checked the option of no credit card on my itunes account and now i'm waiting for the refund of the lost itunes credit from apple.

Got receipt for an unauthorized purchase, please help!

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