A phishing scam in which texts containing Apple Pay phishing links are being sent out to unsuspecting people in an attempt to access personal and financial information. To help spot the fake text and avoid getting scammed, we've put together an in-depth explainer about this issue and information on what to do if you've received one of these texts.
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Spotting the fake SMS message
This scam targets both iPhone and Android devices and involves a fake text message being sent to unsuspecting users, telling them their Apply Pay wallet has been suspended (even if they don't have one) and they will need to reactivate their account.
There are a few variations of this scam text, but all have the common messaging of "Your Apple Pay account has been suspended, please reactivate" and a fake link that leads to a page where scammers can collect personal data such as banking information. Here are some examples:
What to do
If you've received one of these scam texts, the first thing is to never click on the link. Change your passwords for your online accounts if you're unsure what's going on.
If you aren't sure if your Apple Pay account has been affected, log on through the verified Apple Pay website to check for any issues. You can also contact Apple directly if you're unsure whether the text message is legitimate.
If you've shared personal or financial details in response to the fake text message, you need to:
Contact your bank immediately to let them know what happened and ask what they can do to help.
Change the passwords for any online accounts that might be at risk. Make sure to enable two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.
Lastly, report any suspicious messages impersonating Apple to reportphishing@apple.com before deleting the message and blocking the number. If you're an iPhone user, you can report suspicious iMessages by tapping ‘Report Junk’ under the message.
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Information sourced from: Apple Support #1, Apple Support #2, and The Money Edit
All content is created and published for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice.