iTunes Accounts Getting Hacked
8/25/2010 04:44:00 AM - 0 comments
Scammers have found a way to charge thousands of dollars to accounts of iTunes users that are linked to PayPal. One user reported that he learned that his account had 50 iTunes charges of $99.99 each from PayPal.
The user said he was just in time and caught the scam before his bank could send the payments. Others were not as lucky because PayPal has already transferred the funds, however, PayPal promised to reimburse the fraudulent transactions.
Apple disclosed that they are aware of the issue. An Apple spokesman said, “Among other new security measures, iTunes now requires more frequent re-entry of a customer’s credit card security code. But if your credit card or iTunes password is stolen and used on iTunes, we recommend that you contact your financial institution and inquire about canceling the card and issuing a charge-back for any unauthorized transactions. We also recommend that you change your iTunes account password immediately.”
The seeming “security hole” associated with iTunes turned out to be a phishing scam where scammers, pretending to be representatives of legitimate entities, deceive users to divulge or provide their passwords and other account information and use it to access or hack users’ accounts. These scammers often get away with it without being traced.
Experts advised against providing passwords to anyone, especially online adding that “No reputable company will ever ask you for your password, even for their site. Apple will never, ever ask you for your iTunes password.”
Companies do not ask for their customers passwords. They also do not send emails asking customers to click a link and login to your account, verify your account, or change your password. All iTunes accounts are also managed in the iTunes application, not on web pages so if you’re asked to enter your iTunes password on a web page, it’s highly likely to be a scam.
The user said he was just in time and caught the scam before his bank could send the payments. Others were not as lucky because PayPal has already transferred the funds, however, PayPal promised to reimburse the fraudulent transactions.
Apple disclosed that they are aware of the issue. An Apple spokesman said, “Among other new security measures, iTunes now requires more frequent re-entry of a customer’s credit card security code. But if your credit card or iTunes password is stolen and used on iTunes, we recommend that you contact your financial institution and inquire about canceling the card and issuing a charge-back for any unauthorized transactions. We also recommend that you change your iTunes account password immediately.”
The seeming “security hole” associated with iTunes turned out to be a phishing scam where scammers, pretending to be representatives of legitimate entities, deceive users to divulge or provide their passwords and other account information and use it to access or hack users’ accounts. These scammers often get away with it without being traced.
Experts advised against providing passwords to anyone, especially online adding that “No reputable company will ever ask you for your password, even for their site. Apple will never, ever ask you for your iTunes password.”
Companies do not ask for their customers passwords. They also do not send emails asking customers to click a link and login to your account, verify your account, or change your password. All iTunes accounts are also managed in the iTunes application, not on web pages so if you’re asked to enter your iTunes password on a web page, it’s highly likely to be a scam.
0 Responses
Post a Comment