A new Apple Pay scam is hitting millions – here's how to spot fake 'unusual activity' messages before it's too late

• A worrying Apple phishing scam is targeting users’ Apple Pay details
• It claims that large transactions have been placed on users’ accounts
• The messages are fraudulent but contain red flags that can be spotted

If you’ve recently received an email or text message that says a suspicious Apple Pay transaction was blocked and you should call a number to resolve the problem, don’t do it – chances are it’s a new scam that's hitting millions of Apple users.

Despite looking like official correspondence – complete with Apple’s logos, convincing formatting, case numbers and more – the messages are fraudulent and designed to trick you into parting with your cash.

As reported by AppleInsider, Apple users are being sent phishing messages that can take several forms: either they seemingly alert you to a blocked Apple Pay transaction, a scheduled appointment, or suspicious activity linked to your Apple ID.

In all cases, the scammers state that a high-value purchase (usually in the hundreds of dollars) has been attempted using your Apple Pay details and advise you to call a number that (unbeknownst to the victim) they control.

The idea is to panic victims into thinking they are at risk of losing a lot of money. In that flustered state, they’re prompted to call a number that they think will take them through to Apple, but actually leads them straight to the scammers. Once they’re on the line, the fraudsters try to obtain the victims’ Apple ID login details, verification codes, or payment information.

How to stay safe and spot the red flags

If you’ve received an email or message like this, there are a few red flags to watch out for. The first is the fact that Apple doesn’t send out fraud warnings over email, nor does it ask you to call phone numbers contained in messages, even if these purport to be from Apple. If you see anything like that in an email, ignore it and delete the message. It’s worth changing your account password using a password manager too, just in case.

Secondly, always check the sender’s email address. While it might look official at first glance, small typos or unusual domain names can point towards a fraudulent sender. Other details in the email (you can see an example below) can give it away as suspicious, such as a message that is addressed to “Hello {Name}” or similar, as well as phone numbers that do not line up with official Apple Support numbers.

The urgent tone should also be seen as a warning sign. Apple will never compel you to act quickly or tell you that your account will be locked if you don’t move fast. This type of language is designed to get you to act first and think later, which no respectable company would do.

As one user put it in Apple’s official discussion forums, “Apple would never contact you. Your bank (issuer of card) would contact you.” They also pointed out that banks will automatically cancel a suspicious transaction – you would need to contact the bank to permit the transaction, not to stop it.

If you’re in any doubt at all, go to Apple’s legitimate website and contact the company through there. Apple will be able to let you know if there’s any issue with your Apple Pay setup, Apple ID or other account information.

You can also check your purchase history in the Settings app by tapping your name at the top, then selecting Media & Purchases > View Account > Purchase History – this will show you if there really are any suspicious transactions on your account.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a sophisticated scam that targeted Apple users and impersonated the Cupertino company. Just a few months ago, we reported on a scarily convincing scam that seemed to come from real Apple Support accounts, making it very difficult to detect. It’s a reminder that scammers are getting more and more savvy, and that you need to be on your guard to avoid falling victim to them.

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