Scams (e-mail, text messages, and phone calls) are getting very good at closely imitating true Apple communications. Always be cautious. Here are some guidelines:
Identifying legitimate emails from the iTunes Store - http://support.apple.com/HT201679 - lacking in specifics, the next link is better:
Avoid phishing emails, fake 'virus' alerts, phony support calls, and other scams - https://support.apple.com/HT204759
Forward attempts as an attachment (in MacOS Mail use the paperclip icon) to: reportphishing@apple.com then delete it.
- Apple e-mails address you by your real name, not something like "Dear Customer" , "Dear Client" or an e-mail address.
- Apple e-mails originate from @apple.com or @itunes.com but I think it is possible to spoof a sender address
- Mouse over links to see if they direct to real Apple web sites. Do not click on them as this just tells the spammer they have a working e-mail address in their database.
- Phishing emails may include account suspension or similar threats in order to panic you into clicking on a link without thinking. They may report a fake purchase in order to infuriate you into rashly clicking on a false link to report a problem. Mar 2018 post by Niel https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8311239?answerId=33129140022#33129140022 - "Emails saying that your Apple ID has been locked or disabled are always phishing. If one actually gets disabled, its owner will be told when they try logging into it instead of through email."
- Apple will not ask for personal information in an e-mail and never for a social security number.
- Scams may have bad grammar or spelling mistakes.
https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/2018/02/panic-attack-apple-scams-apply- pressure/
I am guessing it is 5% legitimate. Yes, unless you are using a VPN then a web site will know your IP address, but unless you are really needing to keep that secret then so what? 95% of what they are doing is using a scare tactic to get you to buy something you probably don't need, plus they are using a slimy method to advertise it and my inclination would be to avoid using their service becasuse of that even if you did decide you wanted to use a VPN. My final call is thumbs down. Incidentally, if you were already using a VPN you would still see that message, but they would ironically be reporting the VPN's IP address.
