ITunes Scam

Here is another scam using email to watch out for.

 

Fraudsters are trying to get your money and this time, they are posing as Apple, Inc. to do it.

With millions of iTunes users nationwide and thousands here in Cape Coral, the Cape Coral Police Department sent a warning to citizens this morning on this latest scam.

Con artists are sending convincing looking “receipts” via email to unsuspecting people online for purchases made on Apple’s popular iTunes platform. The problem is, these receipts are phony, the charges don’t exist, and all of the links take you to somewhere that has nothing to do with Apple.

This newest unscrupulous request is the latest in what are called “phishing” scams.

Phishing scammers try to convince the user that the message is sent from a legitimate source. The scammers will go to great lengths to make the message appear legitimate, using company fonts, typefaces, and logos, even including links to what looks like the actual company website. All of this is done in hopes of tricking people into divulging their personal identifying information and credit card information.

Below is an example of this latest scam:

To avoid being “phished”, the police department have provided a few tips for dealing with e-mail scams:

  • Delete email and text messages that ask you to confirm or provide personal information (credit card and bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, etc.). Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email or text.

  • The messages may appear to be from organizations you do business with – banks, for example. They might threaten to close your account or take other action if you don’t respond.

  • Don’t reply, and don’t click on links or call phone numbers provided in the message, either. These messages direct you to spoof sites – sites that look real but whose purpose is to steal your information so a scammer can run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

  • Area codes can mislead, too. Some scammers ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a “refund.” But a local area code doesn’t guarantee that the caller is local.

  • If you’re concerned about your account or need to reach an organization you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card.

For more information on how to protect yourself from email scams, go towww.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0003-phishing.

About the Author Dan Keil