Key Takeaways:
- Texts about unverified purchases are almost always a scam. Ignore the text and check your transaction history to identify any unrecognized charges.
- If you get an alert that a new card has been added to your Apple Pay, ignore the notification and once again check your Apple Pay to check for a new card. If there is one, contact Apple support directly through their page.
- If an unknown person randomly sends you money via Apple Pay, do not use the funds or send any money back. Instead, contact support.
- If you notice Apple Pay charges on your bank statements that weren’t made by you, your card is likely compromised and has been added to someone else’s Apple Pay.
- Outside of potential scams, Apple Pay is a very secure and safe service.
With the massive popularity of iPhones (and other Apple products), it’s become mainstream to use Apple’s mobile payment and digital wallet service, Apple Pay, to buy everything from your morning coffee and groceries to that have-to-have gadget you keep seeing all over your social media feeds. But as with seemingly everything, this also means a rise in related scams.
Today, we’ll go over common Apple Pay scams, so you (and your hard-earned cash) stay safe. Let’s get into it!
Who's Calling Me?
Search any phone number to learn more about the owner!
What is Apple Pay
Before jumping into the scams, let’s quickly cover what Apple Pay is. Simply put, Apple Pay is Apple’s mobile payment and digital wallet service. It allows you to digitally store credit cards on your phone, enabling tap-to-pay with your phone (where Apple Pay is accepted) and making it very convenient to purchase things online while on the go.
Watch Out for These Apple Pay Scams
While scammers do have a knack for inventing new ways to steal people’s money and information, they tend to largely stick to a few common schemes that are unfortunately successful. Here are the most common Apple Pay scams you’ll want to watch out for:
1. Unverified Apple Pay Usage Text
One of the most common Apple Pay scams involves a text claiming that your Apple Pay was used to make an unverified purchase. The text will then offer a phone number and website link to call if you would like to cancel the charges.
The text is a scam, of course. The link is a classic phishing (or more specifically, smishing) attempt, where you’ll be taken to a site that looks identical to Apple’s, but is actually run by scammers who steal any information you put in. The phone number, which is also owned by scammers, will connect you to someone claiming to be Apple Support, but once again is just a scammer looking to steal your private information.
2. New Card Added Scam
Whether you have cards set up on Apple Pay or not, getting an alert that a new card was added could be a bit worrisome. Good news, it’s probably nothing. Bad news, someone is trying to scam you. Just like the fake transaction scam (and pretty much every Apple Pay scam), scammers are banking on you trying to remove the unrecognized card by going directly through the alert, which is just more scam links and phone numbers.
3. Failed Payment Scam
With most bills being handled online these days, autopay has become an easy way to make sure you never forget a payment. If some of your subscriptions are linked to your Apple Pay, seeing a failed payment notification might seem realistic and urgent. And that’s how they (the scammers) get you.
Apple Pay allows you to automatically pay for any services linked to your Apple account, including third-party subscriptions (like Netflix). Scammers will send you a notification that a payment has failed that looks like it comes from a popular service. Just like all the other scams, the notification itself is full of official-looking links and numbers, all of which are run by the scammers.
4. Random Apple Cash Payments
Apple Cash (think Venmo, but run via Apple Pay) scams are another common way scammers try to use Apple Pay to steal money. In this scam, you’ll receive a random Apple Cash payment for a large amount. Scammers will then say they sent it to you by accident and ask that you send it back. Unfortunately, their transaction will eventually be reversed, and you’ll be out however much you sent them.
If this happens to you, the best thing to do is block the sender’s number and leave the money they sent alone. Under no circumstances send them anything back! You can also contact Apple Pay’s support if you have any questions.
5. Stolen Cards Linked to Apple Pay
This one is less of a scam and more of a classic case of fraud. If you get a notification from your bank that Apple Pay was used, and that payment does in fact show up in your bank statement, it means someone has added your card to their Apple Pay.
If this happens, contact your bank — directly through their website, not from any text or email — and confirm any charges not made by you so they can reverse them and cancel the compromised card.
6. Marketplace and Reseller Scams
Buying second-hand items online can be a good way to find quality goods for a discount. However, you need to approach these transactions with some level of skepticism. A common scam you’ll run into when buying off of a marketplace (like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist, etc.) involves Apple Pay.
This particular scam is most popular when dealing with tickets for concerts and sporting events, but it isn’t exclusive to those things. It basically works by scammers offering electronic tickets, and saying they’ll send them to you once you’ve paid via Apple Pay. The problem, Apple Pay doesn’t have buyer protections for unknown merchants or private-party transactions, meaning you’ll send the money and never receive any tickets. A similar version of this scam works by a seller asking you to pay them via Apple Pay before they’ll ship the product to you (or meet somewhere to give it to you), and then, of course, never following through on their end of the deal.
How to Stay Safe Using Apple Pay
Fortunately, staying safe while using Apple Pay is pretty easy. If you get some type of “urgent” notice claiming to be from Apple Pay, DO NOT click any links or call the number in the message. Instead, if you’re worried, navigate to Apple Pay’s official support page and go from there to confirm if there is an actual issue. Alternatively, you can also look at your Apple Pay transaction history to see if any suspicious charges have actually been posted.
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Pay Scams
Can someone add your card to their Apple Pay wallet?
If someone has access to your card information (name, number, and security code), they might be able to add the card to their Apple Pay account. Some cards have additional security features, but if you see unrecognized Apple Pay transactions on your account, contact your bank.
Is Apple Pay Safe?
Apple Pay itself is very safe to use. Just avoid the common scams we covered above!
Is Apple Pay Secure?
Yes, Apple Pay is very secure and has additional security features that may make it safer than carrying around your physical cards. First, unlike your physical cards, Apple Pay can’t be lost and can’t be used without your Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode. Second, Apple Pay doesn’t store your private details or share them with vendors, but rather creates one-time use transactions through your bank/credit card provider for each purchase. This means that even if the places you’ve used Apple Pay at are compromised, your card details are unlikely to be at risk.
What’s the difference between Apple Pay and Apple Cash?
Apple Cash falls under the Apple Pay umbrella, but is a specific Apple account that holds cash value (like a debit account or Venmo balance). Opposed to your overarching Apple Pay account, which you can add any debit or credit card to.
Where can I use Apple Pay?
Apple Pay can be used anywhere that accepts Apple Pay, which includes most stores, websites, and apps.
Want to double-check who’s behind the number texting you about your Apple Pay account? Spokeo’s reverse phone number search allows you to do just that. All you have to do is go to Spokeo.com and enter the phone number. Easy as that!
Cyrus Grant is a writer from Southern California with a background in law and dispute resolution. When he isn’t writing, he can be found deep-diving into the latest technology trends or simply spending time at the beach.