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I think my iTunes account was hacked?

This happens all the time in China, you can buy 'accounts' and get Xbox Points, Wii Points, PS3 Points, Itunes accounts, Skype money, basically anything with an account that someone signs in to.

The sad thing is there's no way to stop it, some of it is them guessing/brute forcing passwords, phishing, stuff like that. There aren't really any rules in China.

The $1 you see on your statement is the company authorizing your card, checking your billing address, making sure YOU are who you say you are, and the card is valid, This happens with every company that charges to your card (usually) I've bought stuff from the apple store and it's there. Everywhere does it.

It usually gets refunded within a small amount of time. And sometimes you will never even see it.

Like the guy above me said, $50 is the limit for the law, so to avoid problems apple sets the bar under $50, and since the credit card is good and the info is correct it is accepted. Technically you could be lying, and decided to buy 3k worth of junk for no reason, but why would you do that especially with the risk of being ID'd as the culprit and then charged with more fraud.

It's really easy to get these accounts off taobao, a lot of people have 'sleepers' hanging around until their account gets sold.

I'm definitely taking my card off, I think you can order GC's from apple and amazon.com gives them to you online, that's what I do with my xbox. It's really the only way to be safe.

Paypal is a good option, aslong as your bank account isn't linked to it. Maby a second account that accepts gift money from your primary. If you owe paypal $8k they can't do anything about it really. They are not a bank.

If you have $0 in your Paypal they might suck it out of your checking, and your bank will be drained that way.

Apple is a really sneaky company, there's a reason why their one of the richest profitable companies. Steve loves to fork people with Hardware, it's all about profits these days and not about customer service. Customer Satisfaction is so 1950.

The only way to solve this problem, is to secure the internet, but that's impossible, there will always be someone trying to defraud you. Everyone could switch to Mac but then viruses and the like will start popping up on there too.

Just stick to using Gift Cards, even the 'gift' debit cards, that you go to walmart to buy a 'money pack' to stick on there.

IIRC now paypal has these money packs, so it's more transparent. You can get a PP Debit Card, and load it with money packs, then if anything goes wrong it's outside 'the system' and your bank account is ok.

But it's a big hassle, and we hate hassles.
 
I tried to pull my CC but it is saying I owe $19.98 now....which of course won't go through because AMex is blocking all charges from them since I am disputing the other $80+ in charges that are already on my card.:mad:
 
Hey guys, just created an account on here to pitch in my two cents.

I believe my account was just hacked into as well. I went to update an app on my iPhone and it asked me to verify the security code of my credit card as "My account had recently been accessed on another device." I had heard about the recent increase in hacked iTunes accounts and decided to play it safe and check my bank statement online as well as my e-mail for any purchase confirmations. Sure enough, my bank statement had a charge for $1.00 from iTunes that had been posted just minutes before. I immediately removed my CC and changed my iTunes password and de-authorized all devices on the account. I also decided to cancel my CC as my information was now compromised. During the course of getting a live representative I refreshed my bank statement and found ANOTHER $1.00 charge on there AFTER I had removed my CC. May have been a delay in the posting but it sure made me feel uneasy.

I'm a little confused as to what the damage will be. I have received no confirmation e-mails from iTunes whatsoever about any purchases made using my account. My purchase history also doesn't show any recent purchases. The last purchase that it shows was the free update to my app. I'm wondering if I caught it early enough to avoid any damage? Certainly if they bought a whole butt-load of apps using my account they won't be able to get it anymore as the credit card has been canceled and removed from the iTunes account as well. I am VERY uneasy about those two $1.00 charges to the account since I've read that they only show as $1.00 at first then jump up to a huge number.

Any clarification would be helpful.
 
ccadena said:
Hey guys, just created an account on here to pitch in my two cents.

I believe my account was just hacked into as well. I went to update an app on my iPhone and it asked me to verify the security code of my credit card as "My account had recently been accessed on another device." I had heard about the recent increase in hacked iTunes accounts and decided to play it safe and check my bank statement online as well as my e-mail for any purchase confirmations. Sure enough, my bank statement had a charge for $1.00 from iTunes that had been posted just minutes before. I immediately removed my CC and changed my iTunes password and de-authorized all devices on the account. I also decided to cancel my CC as my information was now compromised. During the course of getting a live representative I refreshed my bank statement and found ANOTHER $1.00 charge on there AFTER I had removed my CC. May have been a delay in the posting but it sure made me feel uneasy.

I'm a little confused as to what the damage will be. I have received no confirmation e-mails from iTunes whatsoever about any purchases made using my account. My purchase history also doesn't show any recent purchases. The last purchase that it shows was the free update to my app. I'm wondering if I caught it early enough to avoid any damage? Certainly if they bought a whole butt-load of apps using my account they won't be able to get it anymore as the credit card has been canceled and removed from the iTunes account as well. I am VERY uneasy about those two $1.00 charges to the account since I've read that they only show as $1.00 at first then jump up to a huge number.

Any clarification would be helpful.
Click to expand...

Read my post above yours, this is just itunes making sure your card exists and is real, these get refunded quickly.

That was just normal activity, I wouldn't be worried, just change your itunes password.
 
A alternative could be to buy itunes gift cards.
Just pt in $20 when you use that up put in 20 more.
This way you don't need to enter all your credit card info every time.
 
My response

I also just created an account to jump in here.

I had earlier created a very strong password, so strong it took me a long time to memorize. In light of this information, I have also removed my credit card information.

Concerning gift cards: Costco sells a $60 pack for (I believe) $57. I bought a pack for my soon-to-be-delivered iPad, to get a small amount of savings that will add up over time. Each card is for $15. So redeem one or two cards (more if you know you will use the amount right away). That should minimize losses should a password be hacked.

In light of this problem, I think the gift card method should become the standard method for buying off iTunes.

Best wishes to all who have been affected by these breeches of security, and thanks for taking the time to tell your stories.
 
Wife's account hacked June 21,22

My wife's iTunes account was jacked, they bought a $99 app that we couldn't even find on iTunes, then a series of $49.99 (i think we all know why $49 by now). All in all totaled $650. Bank of America was great issuing credits, affidavit on the way. Lesson learned I guess, meaning gift cards might be the way to go.
 
Thanks for the information Kingcodez, I can breathe a bit easier now lol.

Better safe than sorry I suppose, no harm done in taking that preventative measure, my card was due to expire in a couple of months anyway lol.

My bank did inform me that it's possible that the final amount my change as it's still "processing", they said that if it changes to contact them so that we can file a dispute and they can assist me in contacting the authorities and Apple.

Also going to close my iTunes account and open up a new one just to be sure, this one was old already anyway. I need to contact an Apple representative directly to do that correct?

Once again, thank you for the info.
 
My account was also hacked last night

wattage said:
My wife's iTunes account was jacked, they bought a $99 app that we couldn't even find on iTunes, then a series of $49.99 (i think we all know why $49 by now). All in all totaled $650. Bank of America was great issuing credits, affidavit on the way. Lesson learned I guess, meaning gift cards might be the way to go.
Click to expand...


I woke up this morning with 12 charges from the iTunes store (all for apps) totaling over 500.00. Unfortunately my bank was closed for a holiday today so I could not dispute the charges. I will be going to gift cards from here on out.

It really makes me want to get rid of my iPhone all together if they are not going to have live customer support when there is a problem.

I think it is obvious that this is fraud done by some kind of bot. Some of the transaction numbers are sequential. This would be next to impossible to do by hand when purchasing apps.
 
I like the idea of going with gift cards, perhaps only redeeming them when about to purchase. The advantage of this is that if an iTunes account gets broken into, the thief is limited in what he/she/it can obtain.

The disadvantage of gift cards is that one has to go out and physically buy them. I personally have been stung by places that have sold gift card numbers online... only to find the numbers were used.

Perhaps the best of both worlds is to use gift cards when at all possible, but if one needs to make a bunch of purchases, put in a credit card number, make the purchases, then remove it from Apple's system, so if the account gets compromised, the worst thing the crook can do is blow your authorizations on machines.
 
Hey all. Long time lurker, first time register-er.

Just wanted to add my name to the list of recently hacked iTunes users. Same type of deal: 3 separate transactions, each for just under $50 in order evade setting off any alarms. Luckily I use an American Express card to make my iTunes purchases, and they kicked *ss on catching and eliminating the charges before they could be fully processed. Very annoying and frustrating situation nonetheless.
 
Got hacked with 29 fraudulent charges - over $3K

All charges occured during a 2 hour period (12:45 - 2:45 pm PDT) on July 5th.

All charges were for "Haypi kingdom, ultra package, Seller: Lae Lee" Whatever and whoever that is.

BoA called me (no thanks to Apple) and canceled the card.

Honestly, if Apple can figure out how to suggest which music / books / apps I will like next, how come they can't figure out that 29 charges for the same product in 2 hours is likely fraudulent.

Goodbye 1-click forever.
 
I got rick-rolled

I was hacked as well for $316.11. I noticed the charges on my account back on 3 July, but of course the banks were closed. I sent an e-mail to Apple with the promise of a reply in 48 hours, but I have yet to hear anything. I will give them 24 more hours then I'll file a claim with my bank (USAA).

Good bye 1-click...
 
Hacked as Well...

Just had to cancel an AmEx Card and MasterCard I've had for years with no problems...until now. Was signed in to my iTunes account last night on my iPad, when the site asked for CC security info. Thought it was odd to have to re-enter it, but foolishly did it anyway. Whole thing looked gunuine enough. Today I find not only the $1 phishing charges opposted to the cards--from "Apple ITunes Store" as the merchant, but a big airline charge from an Asian airline. I don't expect Apple to help me, but at least they could admit they've been hacked and cusomer info has been used illegally. No one is safe from hackers...big business, and some of them are likely smarter than the folks in the industry.

...just my opinion.
 
Cardiac-Kid-44 said:
Just had to cancel an AmEx Card and MasterCard I've had for years with no problems...until now. Was signed in to my iTunes account last night on my iPad, when the site asked for CC security info. Thought it was odd to have to re-enter it, but foolishly did it anyway. Whole thing looked gunuine enough. Today I find not only the $1 phishing charges opposted to the cards--from "Apple ITunes Store" as the merchant, but a big airline charge from an Asian airline. I don't expect Apple to help me, but at least they could admit they've been hacked and cusomer info has been used illegally. No one is safe from hackers...big business, and some of them are likely smarter than the folks in the industry.

...just my opinion.
Click to expand...

What site are you referring to? If you were in the iTunes Store, you were not hacked there. If you were on another site, and it asked for your iTunes information, then learn from your mistake, because you were phished. Not saying you’re dumb or anything, don’t misread me. Just know that anytime another site asks for that type of information, it’s a scam. But, it doesn’t sound like it was iTunes that was compromised, both from your story and from Apple’s official statement.

jW
 
Mal said:
What site are you referring to? If you were in the iTunes Store, you were not hacked there. If you were on another site, and it asked for your iTunes information, then learn from your mistake, because you were phished. Not saying you’re dumb or anything, don’t misread me. Just know that anytime another site asks for that type of information, it’s a scam. But, it doesn’t sound like it was iTunes that was compromised, both from your story and from Apple’s official statement.

jW
Click to expand...


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...32556755418.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLETopStories

Typically, the issue unfolds with a person gaining access to an iTunes account, changing the owner's email address and password on file with Apple, authorizing a new device, and then downloading as many songs, videos and apps as possible, say the victims. Consumers often find out about the crime when they try to access their iTunes accounts or when they hear from their credit-card company.
Click to expand...
 
I was also hacked - first purchase on 4th of July (while I was on vacation). Total cost they tried to purchase was about $350.00. They changed my info so I wasn't able to get into the iTunes account, however Paypal was immensely responsive and was able to cancel the billing agreement quickly and I've already been refunded my money. My biggest frustration was not hearing anything from iTunes customer service despite repeated attempts to contact them - I finally worked my way through the phone customer support system by telling them it was an issue with my iPhone. Was finally able to get into my iTunes account last night and change/update all info. Frustrating!
 
Add me to the list approximately 7 transactions over 2 days (July 6th and 7th). Started with a test that I did not catch by purchasing 1 song without my permission. Received a call from the credit card company after 7 transactions between $30 and $60. Canceled card and now having issues contacting Apple. I was successful once and the person said it was taken care of however there is still a pending charge I cannot get rid of and there is an extra computer on my authorized list I cannot remove. The hacker changed my email account so I would not see the receipts as well. They are in our accounts and not just getting the card numbers.

Apple customer service is horrible so maybe we need to start contacting our local media outlets and getting the word out. The problem still exists and has not been fixed.
 
Bank Account Wiped Out - Apple Says "Minor"???

Our family is in the middle of an international trip and after returning from a short trip to an island without an internet connection she found over $2400 worth of fraudulent charges! All in one day!

Apple needs much better security.

Due to the MAJOR FLAWS in their iTunes account handling that allow this sort of thing to occur, our whole family has now delinked all credit cards with iTunes and will strictly use gift cards.

They also need to learn how to expedite how they handle these incidents. My daughter is due to fly back to the US tomorrow but her bank account is totally stripped and has massive overdraft charges to boot! And Apple is telling us it can take up to 3-weeks to get it all cleared up!

May be minor to Apple, but to the person affected it can be extremely devastating.

Thanks Apple for caring about us.
 
chicalu said:
My biggest frustration was not hearing anything from iTunes customer service despite repeated attempts to contact them - I finally worked my way through the phone customer support system by telling them it was an issue with my iPhone. Was finally able to get into my iTunes account last night and change/update all info. Frustrating!
Click to expand...
This exact same thing just happened to my cousin. When push comes to shove, Apple hangs us out to dry. Apple is so selfish & arrogant, all they care about are themselves. Complete silence & denial are Apples time tested technique. When it comes to their customers it's do it yourself.
 
Me tooo :(

My account was hacked as well. "They" left a balance so I can't clear my personal information. They purchased music and applications. iTunes has yet to provide me with a telephone number to speak with anyone. Stole over $600 from my bank account. I had 12 charges on from 7/7- 7/9, all ranging from $40-$50.

I never used this password anywhere else. It was mixed with letters and numbers. I did not fill in any form online giving anyone this information.

I've sent many e-mails to iTunes with two day later replies coming back that sound like they are just cutting paragraphs from a script. NONE of my questions have be answered! I've requested a phone number...NO reply to that. I WAS a happy mac user... I have tons of their products...but now, after all of this I am shocked that Apple has sunk this low!

Typically, I am not the type to want to press charges, but the total disrespect over this situation I feel totally deserves some heads to roll! I too would love to be included in a class action suit. THIS IS CRAZY!
 
YEP- That is pretty much word for word what my message back from itunes said!

My first reply was word for word like this. They didn't answer any of my questions! I replied--and over 24 hours later again got a "script" sounding e-mail again avoiding my questions.

Feej said:
Well, you can add me to the ever growing list of people that have been hacked or whatever you want to call it.

Same symptoms of unable to enter password on phone, and then the invoice in my email box....



Interesting thing is the apps are all from the same seller and totally unrelated. Is this some sort of apps scam???

They changed my ID, PW, DOB, and even the secret question. Lucky for me I was able to get my PW reset through another email account and removed my CC details.

Emailed Apple and got the same jive as everyone else here:

etc, etc.....

My concern now is that someone has been into my account and got hold of my CC details and that'll be next.

The scariest thing is that I don't have any idea how they got access to my account, and I'm very particular about my PW's and security.

I'm sure that this is a bigger problem than just the people on here, and before I'm questioned about this being my first post, I found this forum through a google search for "hacked itunes account".

Obviously, Apple don't care though......
Click to expand...
 
gperoza said:
My account was hacked as well. "They" left a balance so I can't clear my personal information. They purchased music and applications. iTunes has yet to provide me with a telephone number to speak with anyone. Stole over $600 from my bank account. I had 12 charges on from 7/7- 7/9, all ranging from $40-$50.

I never used this password anywhere else. It was mixed with letters and numbers. I did not fill in any form online giving anyone this information.

I've sent many e-mails to iTunes with two day later replies coming back that sound like they are just cutting paragraphs from a script. NONE of my questions have be answered! I've requested a phone number...NO reply to that. I WAS a happy mac user... I have tons of their products...but now, after all of this I am shocked that Apple has sunk this low!

Typically, I am not the type to want to press charges, but the total disrespect over this situation I feel totally deserves some heads to roll! I too would love to be included in a class action suit. THIS IS CRAZY!
Click to expand...








You mat have to consider taking action.
 
Read through this thread...:eek::eek::eek::eek:

As long as I don't read a good explanation by Apple in which they can positively rule out a hack on their side or a communication intercept, I'm out. Just put my payment method to 'none'. I only access my account through a mac, have security software on it and use a password that will resist any dictionary attack but am still not satisfied and totally digusted by their 'if it break you get to keep the pieces' attitude. 3/4 of all these account hijackings could probably have been prevented if they'd used a simple geo ip-check.
 
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