This morning, I woke up to an email stating that I had placed an order for a laptop and AirPods for pickup at a store located across the country. I was cautious and didn't click any links. I checked my Apple Store account associated with my Apple ID and only saw my past orders, with no new charges on any of my cards (all linked to Apple Pay). I locked all my cards except for one I needed for important transactions today. Subsequently, I searched for the order on the Apple website without logging into my Apple ID, and I found it, which made me think it wasn't just a phishing attempt. After chatting with official support, the order was eventually canceled. Interestingly, the order was placed under a potentially legitimate name and a mailing address, although it was for pickup quite far from me. I'm wondering what kind of scam this might be, as I updated my Apple ID password but it appears the scammer only had my email. Wouldn't Apple charge at pickup at the latest? Are there additional steps I should take to protect myself? I should also mention my email includes my uncommon last name, so it seems unlikely this was a simple typo or mistake.
3 Answers
It could have been a real order that was made using your email but not linked to your account. Sometimes websites allow orders without proper checking. Just stay alert and keep monitoring your accounts for any unusual activity!
It sounds like you encountered a phishing attempt or a scam. Scammers often send out emails like that to lure people into clicking links or calling numbers that aren't legitimate. They might aim to trick you into providing your credit card info under the guise of verifying or canceling an order. It's awesome that you were cautious! Just make sure to double-check links if you ever get similar emails, and avoid giving personal details easily.
You can use any email for notifications, so it's possible they just typed yours by mistake. It's good that you kept track of everything and checked with Apple directly. They typically wouldn't charge you unless you confirmed the purchase. Changing your Apple ID password was a smart move, and I’d recommend enabling two-factor authentication for added security.
For sure, two-factor is super important! Always better to be safe.
That's exactly what these scammers do; they create fake orders to create panic. Glad you handled it well!