Identifying Phishing Scams in text messages

kreg56 wrote:

Got the same message exactly with the same amount but only on the iPad and not on the iPhone, I usually reply (on iPhone) that I am calling police before deleting and reporting and it usually stops the scammers.

Actually it is not ideal to respond back at all. The sending address is just spoofed and the scammers are not even likely to see your message. For addresses that are monitored, it just notifies them that you are susceptible to respond to their messages and your address is more valuable to be sold to other scammers. They know they can't be tracked down to be identified and the worst thing that could happen to them is that the email provider may close their account. That does not concern them as they can easily create another anonymous email account.

kreg56 wrote:

Got the same message exactly with the same amount but only on the iPad and not on the iPhone, I usually reply (on iPhone) that I am calling police before deleting and reporting and it usually stops the scammers.

That may well be flooding completely innocent bystanders though, as a classic harassment tactic involves spamming ~everybody with email or with calls, spoofing the source from the victim’s address or number, causing both automated responses to be aimed at the innocent victim, and mixed with irate responses.

One of my email addresses was once used for a email spam run, which showed there are a lot of badly configured email servers. I was getting bounces from misconfigured mail servers and a mix of irate replies for several days, and with the traffic overwhelming the local mail server processing the responses near the peak of the spam run. All that server was doing was running mail, during the worst of it.

Or, yeah, responding informs the spammer that the email or the number works, and is willing to engage. Which makes the contact info more valuable to sell to other spammers.

Put differently, please don’t add to the mess.

southern-treat wrote:

My repeated spam messages seem to occur on Mondays.

I just delete the darn things.

If the texts use unique wording, a tool such as the third-party Bouncer app can filter it.

As for the schedule, organized scamming is a business too, and they also have bosses and “sales” goals.

Yep, as long as it is profitable for the scammers it will continue from different spoofed sending addresses to prevent blocking and also include new phone numbers to call. I still get the same FedEx package delivery scam that has been going around for at least the last 5 years.

Oceans47 wrote:

I received the same fraudulent text message this morning for a suspicious charge of 143.95. I have never used apple pay. I don't understand why these bad actors can't be stopped. Charged with the crime and go through the crimminal process .

I find my thought “I don’t understand why…” to be a great place to ask myself “maybe there’s something here I’m missing?” In technical projects including with app design and development, this is akin to Chesterton’s fence, and all of us have seen the results of some projects that skipped the part about learning why the fence existed.

It's just getting worse all over. If these folks can steal titles from homeowners and get a way with it, hold businneses hostage until ransoms are paid, and on and on. this world is in a mess.

The world has always been a mess. Ugly, messy, and too often stupid.

Complains about quality and scams go back millennia, too.

In many ways, the world is getting better. But we had less information about the huge messes that existed in the past and a fondness for forgetting the worst of it. Folks nowadays are better at propagandizing what they do want to highlight to advance their own agendas, too. Yes, there remains ample ugly, messy, and stupid.

But to this particular text messaging scam, Bouncer and similar apps can be used to block the worst of the repeating rubbish messages, whether scams or politicians or polls.

Servant of Cats wrote:

If I remember correctly, an old AT&T advertising slogan was "Reach out and touch someone." It appears that the criminals were listening – but not in a good way.

when I consulted with AT&T years ago we called the AT&T logo The Death Star.

Lawrence Finch wrote:

Servant of Cats wrote:

If I remember correctly, an old AT&T advertising slogan was "Reach out and touch someone." It appears that the criminals were listening – but not in a good way.

when I consulted with AT&T years ago we called the AT&T logo The Death Star.

Actually, the DETHSTAR, because that was when file names could not exceed 8 characters😀

I just received the same alert.

I total ignored it.

By looking at the 1-808 number to call its a scam. Apples contact numbers are 1-800 not 1-808-

Do not respond to the text for them to know it’s a working number.

click report as scam and block.

xusmico wrote:

im not smart enought to post the "screenshot"

It’s a scam.

See the previous nine pages of “it’s a scam” replies.

Here is how to Take a screenshot on iPhone - Apple Support

Then press the highlighted button to upload the screenshot:

I just received this text message today. Same amount. Here is the message and was sent from a Hotmail account (***@hotmail.com) that came through as a text. Obviously - hotmail would not be an official Apple message 🙄

=====

Apple Approval Notice

We have noticed that your Apple iCloud id was recently used at "APPLE STORE - CA" for $143.95, paid by Apple Pay Pre Authorization. Also some suspicious sign in request and apple pay activation request detected. That looks like suspicious to us. In order to maintain the security and privacy of your account we have placed those request on hold. If NOT you? talk to an Apple Representative. Failing may lead to auto debit and charge will not be reversed. Call +1 ** immediately to cancel this charge.

Billing Department : https://support.apple.com/billing

Have a great day!

[Edited by Moderator]

ric153 wrote:

My wife got this text from a Hotmail accountApple Approval Notice

PLEASE, PLEASE read threads before posting a new message in a thread. By reading only a few posts you would have learned that MILLIONS of people get the same or a similar scam message every day.

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

Hepzi wrote:

This is an insulting message. Finding anything on the Apple website is like looking for a needle in a haystack--and there is no easy way to contact either. All dispersed over the various enterprises. I suspected a phish and tried to to do the responsible thing and find info from Apple--impossible!! Finally used Google--yes Google!! to search for info on YOUR site. For a company that wants to lend, process payments, etc you sure have lousy customer support, protections and information. YOu will soon be regulated like a bank and forced into responsibility.

This is a user-to-user technical support forum. No one participating here (unless they work for an actual bank) is going to be regulated as a bank. Nor does anyone participating here own or control this website.

If you want to let Apple know your concerns, you can use the feedback page:

Product Feedback - Apple

joedygirl wrote:

Your Apple ID was used at "Apple Store" for $195.99…

Phishing.

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

Text including “billed” amounts will vary.

Also not how payment fraud detection works, either.

See previous replies for details of the tip-offs, clues, and errors in the text.

And previous replies for what to do if you’re still not sure it’s a fake phishing message.

Retirement2017 wrote:

I received this messageApple Approval Notice

We have noticed that your Apple iCloud id was recently used at "APPLE STORE - CA" for $143.95, paid by Apple Pay Pre Authorization. Also some suspicious sign in request and apple pay activation request detected. That looks like suspicious to us. In order to maintain the security and privacy of your account we have placed those request on hold. Your Photos, Data, Bank Information and Cards are at risk. If NOT you? talk to an Apple Representative. Failing may lead to auto debit and charge will not be reversed. Call +1808203**** immediately to cancel this charge.

Billing Department :  Subscriptions and Billing - Official Apple Support

Have a great day!

[Edited by Moderator]

Literally (and I mean literally) MILLIONS of people have received this or similar scam messages. You are not alone. It is sent by bots installed on co-opted computers, mostly Windows PCs.

See→Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams

And NEVER, EVER click on a link in a message or call a phone number in a message.

Retirement2017 wrote:

I received this messageApple Approval Notice

We have noticed that your Apple iCloud id

It’s called an Apple Account, as Apple stopped using Apple ID a while back. Enjoy the brief interlude before the scammers catch up. It’s never been called an “Apple iCloud id”, though.

was recently used at "APPLE STORE - CA" for $143.95, paid by Apple Pay Pre Authorization.

Apple Pay Pre Authorization is word salad.

And that’s also not how payment networks and fraud detection works. If there’s fraud suspected, the transaction is blocked before payment, and only proceeds after explicit approval (from you) is received. The card-holder (you) doesn’t call to block payment, the caller calls to complete the payment, if fraud is suspected.

Also some suspicious sign in request and apple pay activation request detected.

Word salad. Also not how Apple reports issues.

You do have two-factor authentication enabled too, right? If not, go enable that Right Now.

That looks like suspicious to us.

Word salad. Poor grammar, too.

In order to maintain the security and privacy of your account we have placed those request on hold.

Not how this works. Also word salad. Also bad grammar.

Your Photos, Data, Bank Information and Cards are at risk.

That’s not how Apple Pay works. If your Apple Account is breached, sure, you’re headed for a Bad Day.

But you have two-factor enabled, right? That will show a verification code for every new and unexpected login.

If NOT you? talk to an Apple Representative.

“If NOT you ? talk to an Apple Representative” is word salad.

Failing may lead to auto debit and charge will not be reversed.

That’s not how payment networks work. Also not how fraud detection works. Also, bad grammar.

Call +1808203**** immediately to cancel this charge.

Yeah, because Apple is likely to use a number that isn’t toll-free; an 800, . And if you’re still not sure, search for the phone number, and see if it’s associated with shenanigans, or with Apple. And if you’re still unsure, look up the number for Apple in your Wallet or otherwise, and contact Apple.

Arcane technical details: ”Toll-free telephone numbers in the North American Numbering Plan have the area code prefix 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, or 888. Additionally, area codes 822, 880 through 887, and 889 are reserved for toll-free use in the future. 811 is excluded because it is a special dialing code in the group NXX for various other purposes.”

Billing Department :  Subscriptions and Billing - Official Apple Support

Word salad.

Have a great day!

Yeah, because Apple is going to use that “Have a great day!” as its closing, and particularly on a note claiming payment mayhem.

[Edited by Moderator]

Kinda wish here was a moderator for spammers, scammers, and phishers too, but here we are.

A few more of the many sorts of scams: Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support

And if you’re still unsure if this is real or a scam, look up the Apple-published telephone numbers on an Apple webpage, and contact Apple directly. Email sending addresses and calling numbers can be faked, too.

We get this same message posted regularly in this thread, dozens of times. This scam gets sent to millions of people.

Contact info for Apple, on an Apple webpage: Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support