Identifying Phishing Scams in text messages

got the same text msg for $175.27... checked Apple's recent purchase referenced to its amount... bottom line, clearly the msg received is a phishing scam... with a contact number 84***241...

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My daughter got the exact same message, amounts and all. This is obviously a phishing attempt. Do not call them. Rather, scroll down to the bottom of the message and click: "report junk," and then click on "Delete and Report Junk" so these criminal can be stopped in their tracks.

Let me add my thanks that this discussion thread is here. I just got hit by this scam. Didn’t try the link but called the number given: 80***300. The individual answered by stating it was a “Product Support Line”, without citing Apple. Very thankful I did not click the link.

I hope that adding to this thread heightens the awareness of Apple to this ongoing scam.

The text was posted from “gon**************20@icloud.com”. I hope this does not mean they have hacked the iCloud email of someone. I don’t know any Victoria Gonzalez, so I doubt my phone number was pulled from that individual’s hacked Contacts.

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My text said payment was made with Apple Pay to Apple Store and I think mine said $185. (I deleted the text very quickly). And said, if you did not make this payment, call this number (they had a phone number). I checked my bank account and no charge was there, and it would have shown up pretty quickly with Apply Pay.

I just received a similar text but the amount is for 715.49. This is the text message:

Transaction Declined! We noticed your "AppleID" was used at an AppleStore for $715.49. We detected suspicious activites, call +1 80***347 to avoid charges.

I have not clicked or called. I called the number on a land line and it was answered by a person stating "Tech Support." I hung up.

It was sent by a phone +1 2***092.

Agnes

Chicago IL

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Beverly1043 wrote:

I just received a similar text but the amount is for 715.49…\

Millions of these scam messages are sent.

…I have not clicked or called. I called the number on a land line and it was answered by a person stating "Tech Support." I hung up.

You’ll get more scams and more spams having called, unfortunately.

Phone numbers used in this scams will vary.

Sending numbers will vary.

Claimed (fraudulent) amounts will vary.

Payment card fraud procedures do not work at all like this scam claims, either.

This and similar scams will continue to arrive for years, if not decades.

I feel this comment in my soul. The horrific grammar, or sentence structure is always the dead giveaway for me in these text and email scams, even more so than the other suspicious parts! Not that I am a grammar guru by any means but a true message from Apple would NEVER! 😂

Hello~ I had to go back through this thread to find out what you were talking about and found this…

“*TzTerri

I just sent a screenshot along with the email address they used to send to my text messages to reportphishing@apple.com to report it.

But first, I called the number and messed with them a bit.*”

While that garnered upvotes and grins/giggles…it also let the scammers know that they hit upon a valid phone number. Then the real grins and giggles start. Your number will be sold and the uptick in scammers will then began to expand at a horrendous rate. Don’t do it…in fact it is the very last thing you should actually do.

~Katana-San~

🚩🚩🚩It is 3/24/25 and it must be going around again because I got one from a “yar********60@icloud.com” this morning @9:43AM about an Apple Pay pre-authorization for same exact amount “at an APPLE STORE-CA” saying my Apple ICloud ID was used along with some others suspicious sign in requests. Listed the phone number as +180******13, to call to cancel the charge of $143.95. So it is obviously going around again! 🚩🚩🚩

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Got this today: You were charged $171.12 via Apple Pay for a subscription from App Store. Contact apple support team +18***906, if this is unrecognized.

Assuming it's a SCAM??

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IdrisSeabright wrote:

jonzoog wrote:

I got the same message. 10 minutes after I made a purchase on the Apple Store. Had all the other people on this thread recently made a purchase? It seems like too much of a coincidence.

It's a coincidence. I have made lots of purchases from Apple and never received one. On the other hand, I get lots of the EZPass balance scam messages.

Got my first-ever EZ Pass scam message this week. A whole barrage of them followed. Different wording. Different links. Different sources. Same scam. Sigh.

The Apple Store scam spam from this thread has been infrequent.

Bouncer app can be helpful for text spam.

SpamSieve app can be helpful for email spam, if a Mac is available.

Phone and SMS are increasingly set to contacts-only locally though, given the volume of spam calls and spam texts. The Apple features Focus and Do Not Disturb are helpful here.

mkmmy wrote:

Just received an alert form, Apple regarding a charge From Apple Store paid by Apple Pay pre-authorization with the phone number 88***321 to call. Is this for real?

All such messages are scams.

If it helps... I just got this today.

"Charge: A charge of $499.19 was made using your Apple Pay account. If you did not authorize this transaction,  Call support +1 808 ****** to cancel the charge."

Clearly a scam.

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I just got a text from (305) ***-***1, but mine says my apple id was charged $165. I'll send a screenshot to the Apple phishing address and then do a "Report as junk and delete".

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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.