Apple Responds Regarding App Store Sales Ranking Fraud

[Ntombi]

Wow, this is really bad. Cant believe apple has all these security holes.
First ipad and now iTunes. This should be headline news to make sure people know about this major mistake from apple.

The iPad breach had nothing to do with Apple.

 

[marksman]

Trust me, as a victim of this BS, I can say that their response has been anything but great and quick. My account has been disabled now for 2 weeks with no end in sight. They are "reviewing" it and will get back to me. What's to review? My systems are fully Apple and I'm not a moron that would fall for phishing scams. I'm not a power iTunes user, in fact after reviewing my purchase history, over the course of 6 YEARS I only purchased about $59 worth of stuff. Over the course of 3 DAYS, this jackmayhoffer charged almost $500 worth of crap on my account. The only reason my account was disabled is because my credit card company put a hold on the account which then flagged my iTunes account. Where was Apple's flagging of the account for this suspicious activity?!



Are you suggesting that these other merchants have dedicated applications like iTunes where their transactions are handled? This is where I see the difference and place more accountability on Apple. Theirs is more of a "closed" system in that it is not simply a merchant operating a website. I will no longer store credit card info in iTunes because I don't feel the merchant has proper security measures in place to secure it. I'm all for personal responsibility, but until they can prove to me that any of my actions caused this breach, I am pointing a finger.

Except it is most likely something you did that allowed them to access your account. As much as you want to deny it. Somehow they got a hold of your account information from you.

 

[lewchenko]

Macrumors seems to be a spokesperson for Apple these days .


Where in the statement from Apple did you read : "in actuality it appears that a relatively small number of iTunes Store accounts compromised through other means were used to purchase the applications to drive their increase in ranking"

????? So is that 10 people's accounts or 1000 ?

How do you know it was a small number ? This could have been a trial run for something much bigger, or just the start of something.

Shouldnt Apple actually tell us how it happened ? Was the passwords compromised then, or hacked etc ? More Apple PR rubbish for the zealots to schmooze over.

 

[AppleFan1984]

"Your really pocket mirror" LOL

It's **** like that that needs to be reported.

Or any of these:
http://gizmodo.com/5555853/the-apple-app-stores-scams

 

[Headrush69]

Wow, this is really bad. Cant believe apple has all these security holes.
First ipad and now iTunes. This should be headline news to make sure people know about this major mistake from apple.

How is it a system security failure if your pasword is properly being used but was obtained outside the system?

 

[iigsie]

That means Apple's security was at fault.

Educate yourself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password_cracking

 

[siddavis]

Except it is most likely something you did that allowed them to access your account. As much as you want to deny it. Somehow they got a hold of your account information from you.

That may very well be, and I can accept that if true. NOTHING I've done in the past month would make me think that is the case though.

My real problems are:
1) That Apple did and seems to be doing next to nothing about the situation in my case besides some canned email responses to my concerns. They were not proactive in disabling the account when the ludicrous buying spree was going on (3 days straight - only stopped by my CC hold). They are not proactive in telling me what actually happened.

2) It is assumed by most on these boards that there is no way Apple could've slipped, like they are totally infallible.

Since I am all Apple hardware and OS wise, I am to assume I did not receive a self installing piece of code (they are infallible remember). That means I had to approve the installation of this crap, or I have easy passwords (not a chance). The only items I've changed recently are Safari 4 to 5, 10.6.3 to 4, iOS3 to 4 and related app updates. I have not downloaded nor installed any other items. Since I'm willing to accept the possibility that my actions caused this, can anyone here accept the possibility that the compromise was on Apple's end?

I guess you could say since I don't have all of the facts, I cannot place blame, but it would be nice if they threw me a bone. Like I said, my account has been disabled for around 2 weeks, and the only info they've given me is that it is "under review". I only received this communication after proactively contacting customer support. Not a single contact from them regarding suspicious activity etc. This leaves me with purchased (and free) apps that are not usable because I need to update them for iOS4 compatibility, plus the fact that I have gift card $$ tied up with them.

 

[nopple]

This s getting worse for apple these days. How in this world such a tightly controlled system like iTunes was allowed to be hacked. How can people trust appleiTunes anymore ??.

I would say spread the news, make it headlne news and bring them to justice. Let apple own up to this and accept that they messed up BIG time.

 

[wovel]

Did the people commit the fraud have access to our cc info? From what I've read I think they only made bad purchases on iTunes? That means Apple's security was at fault. They let these people obtain our user info and was able to make unauthorized purchases on iTunes only.

Apple should just refund everyone's money and call it a day. Why make the consumers contact the bank etc, when all they have is the iTunes account information?

How do you know apple allowed them to do anything? How do you know they did not get the info from phishing?

 

[wovel]

2) It is assumed by most on these boards that there is no way Apple could've slipped, like they are totally infallible.

Very people think that. People expect everyone else to believe that Apple made a mistake even when it would take a convoluted leap of logic to make something Apple's fault. Whereas blaming the criminal and the victim (if they screwed up) is most likely correct.

Every story on here has people blaming Apple for something. The story on the update to the iMovie app had someone complaining how Apple screwed up because the app is so expensive [$4.99] and does not contain all the same transitions as iMove, Vegas, Final Cut and Adobe Premiere. (Ok, they only listed like 10 more transitions).

Countless people complaining about how Apples announcement is a lie. No it was an announcement on a very specific thing: Bar Display issue on the iphone. The announcement did not deny any other issues. People with other issues should call tech support and go through the process. I know a lot of people are caught up on the fake "CSR" memo from Boy Genius, but if you are basing anything you do on information obtained from BGR, you are a sad person who should stop talking on the Internet or anywhere else.

Did Apple allow these people to sell apps in the app store? Yes.
Did they remove the App when they found out it was a problem? Yes

Did they release a phone with proximity sensor issues? It seems so.
Will they fix it? If the fixes CSRs are using now are not widely effective, I am sure they will come up with something else.

Did they release a mobile OS that improperly displays bars? Yes
Are they going to fix it? Yes (On the way)

Do some iPhone4 users drop calls they shouldn't? Yes
Did they fix it? Yes, users who have that problem and contact Applecare have exchanged their phones and eliminated the problem.

Apple makes plenty of mistakes and Apple addresses those mistakes. There has been a lot of noise on this forum over the past week. Many users would have been better off had nothing ever appeared on the Internet about reception issues. They would have had a problem with their phone, taken it to support, received a new one, and gone on their merry way. Instead they wasted a week of their life ranting about it on the Internet.

 

[EagerDragon]

I am glad

I am glad I was right on with my previous statements in the "Reports of 'App Store Hacked' Greatly Exaggerated" posts 51, 59, 106, 108.

Nothing really out of the ordinary other than it affected the App's Ranking which means it does not takea lot to move the ratings.

People just need to use good passwords and be on guard for malware and where they disclose their passwords.

There will always be a bad guy wanting your credentials.

Maybe we can get out and enjoy life now

 

[muziq]

So here is the email Apple sends me about having my iTunes account hacked..

and yes, even though there are a few people on here, who seem to think it's MY fault for this happening, I still think Apple should do the right thing and credit our accounts..

Why should we have to go through all the trouble of taking care of this, when it is now obvious it was a widespread issue, and not the fault of someone having an "easy" password to hack.

And for those people preaching off their soapboxes, how it's "OUR" fault, I really can't wait for the day when your bank account is emptied without you knowing, and the money you work hard to earn is gone..

I really hope it happens to you.......can't wait.



Dear XXXX,

Greetings from iTunes Customer Support Team. My name is XXXX and I am glad to assist you today.

I understand that you have unauthorized charges on your account. I know this can be frustrating for you. I certainly understand your concern and I am sure you want this to be resolved.

XXXX, it appears that your account information was modified without your authorization. This can happen for a number of reasons, most commonly due to "phishing" emails, sharing passwords, or using the same password for multiple online accounts. I have restored your account information and your Apple ID is "XXXXXXXXXXX". You will need to visit http://iforgot.apple.com to reset your password so you can sign in.

Please review the following article for help in identifying legitimate emails from the iTunes Store.

Identifying legitimate emails from the iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2075

When you reset your password using http://iforgot.apple.com I highly recommend that you follow the suggestions outlined in the following article:

iTunes Store: Best practices for protecting the security of your account
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4156

I have removed your card from your account and have disallowed it from being used on the iTunes Store. If you wish to place orders using a different payment method, you can add one to your account by following these instructions:

1) Open iTunes and sign in to the iTunes Store.
2) Select "View My Account" from the Store menu.
3) Enter your password and click the View Account button.
4) Click the Edit Payment Information button.
5) Select the card type and enter the card number, security code, and expiration date.
6) Click the Done button at the bottom of the page.

If you suspect you are the victim of identity theft, consider following these recommendations:

- Contact the fraud departments of any consumer reporting company to place a fraud alert on your credit report.

- Close the accounts that you believe have been used without your knowledge.

XXXXX, thank you for using the iTunes Store. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

XXXXXX
iTunes Store Customer Support

Please Note: I work from Friday to Tuesday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to assist you. You may receive an AppleCare survey email; any feedback you provide would be greatly appreciated.


FYI- calls to the Apple support number which I had to search for where not helpful at all.. They are gone for the day...

This is the only email I have gotten about this..

That's all, just "change your password, contact your bank to fix it, and have a nice day"..


Apple, you have fallen hard the last few weeks...

What a f'ing mess....

 

[muziq]

It's not Apple's fault you fell for a phishing scam.

Not everyone is perfect apparently...

 

[CFreymarc]

As a developer - good.

Agree! Mess with the best ...