I got an email from my sister this week that simply asked, “Scam, right?”
On the bottom of her message was an email that purported to be from Apple Support.
The message read:
Subject: News :(Notif) Suspicious activity from your ApplelD
—Thank you for purchasing the following item : Xbox One —
Order Number : MHDH10YMK50
Order Total : $217.99
- if you initiated this download, you can disregard this email, it was only sent to alert you in case you did not initiate the download yourself
- if you did not initiate this download, please cancel the transaction this purchase
— To cancel this purchase Read your secure message by opening the attachment (pdf). you will be prompted to open (view) the file or save (download) it to your computer. for best results, save the file first, then open it in a Web browser.—
Sincerely
Apple
The attached PDF had a large Apple Pay logo at the top, but the message said, “Recently there’s been activity in your PayPal account that seems unusual compared to your normal account activities. Please log into Apple to confirm your identity.”
I’m hoping you see the red flags that I do with this message.
Apple will not email you to ask you about unusual activity on your PayPal account.
The PDF had a link to a page that looked just like Apple’s website, but it led to a form that asked for personal information, including your Social Security number.
That’s a huge red flag. Apple doesn’t need to know your Social Security number to unlock your Apple ID.
The real-looking Apple website had the URL store.apple.com.shop-sign-in.info. That address might look legitimate at first glance, but it is most certainly not an Apple page.
The bottom line is to treat every email with a huge grain of salt. Treat it as if they’re trying to steal from you — which they are.
If you get an email from Apple, don’t click the link. Instead, go to apple.com and log on a site you know is Apple’s.
Then go to your account page and see if there is any unusual activity.
Just yesterday I got a message from my sister-in-law asking about a pop-up message she received saying that Apple had detected a virus on her iPhone and she needed to install a program to start the “cleaning” process.
It was also a fake. Apple is not scanning your iPhone for viruses. Please don’t fall for this one either. Close out of the browser and ignore it.
If you have questions about the validity of a message, feel free to send it to me at jrossman@dallasnews.com, and I'll be happy to take a look.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Jim Rossman writes for The Dallas Morning News. He may be reached at jrossman@dallasnews.com.
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