Apple Approval Notice text message scam

Shellstar10 wrote:

I just received this text today on (1/22/25); don't they have any NEW material to use.

“They” is a bot that sends millions of identical fraudulent messages. No humans were involved, unless you foolishly respond.

Shellstar10 wrote:

I just received this text today on (1/22/25); don't they have any NEW material to use.

It’s a ~free to send, highly-automated, response-tested, and immense-scale business.

We are getting different amounts cited, just as the “you have (3) viruses!” messages eventually started picking other counts.

There are some discussions of whether it makes sense to make these scams better too, as that can end up wasting the scammers’ time when a somewhat-wary caller calls in and then hangs up before the scammer can reach the profit they seek.

nettiez123 wrote:

I just got a text from a ne****u@hotmail.com and they are using a different number. I was told to call +1-87*****91. Just some extra info to add. I am blocking and deleting now.

Deleting is good, blocking is wasted effort because they will never use that email address again.

nettiez123 wrote:

I just received another one of these messages! I am going to delete and report! Tuesday, March 25, 2025

You, and thousands or millions of others, too.

This campaign will continue for the foreseeable future, with adjustments and new variants intended to maintain the profitability of the business sending this scam spam, and will new recipients being added to the scam.

Usually sent from botnets using compromised accounts, or from faked senders, or both, and referencing phone numbers that will vary.

I got this message today, I did call the number, but became very suspicious the person was not professional. did have me look under General then the Language & Region where under Region Format Example there were two charges dated August 19, 2025, in the amts of $12,345.67 and $4567.89. Not sure how they were able to do this, not sure if my phone is now compromised.

I received the same message. I checked my Apple Pay account and found a fraudulent charge with a different amount. It might just be a coincidence, but you should check your account anyway. But not through any information/phone number or link from the text.

SilentCare wrote:

Received this just now… searched and found your similar post. Hopefully Apple can use the links to better service and protect their services. Your financial institutions also strive to protect their customers from fraud.

First, Apple doesn't read here in this user-to-user forum for feedback or suggestions. Second, Apple is not a law enforcement agency. There is really nothing they can do about these messages. Third, the link is actually legitimate. What is not is the phone number.

Momzor wrote:

This scam is still going on. Just got this same text from "go*******krf@gmail.com" The message is updated, but it's the same old scam:

Of course it is! Why stop doing something that is hugely profitable? The amount of money raised by this and other phishing messages is in the billions of dollars.

prachikashyap wrote:

I received the same message today, and I’m glad my first instinct was to check Google. I’m also pleased they used the exact same amount. The message came from e********19@icloud.com.

[Edited by Moderator]

Large botnets of compromised accounts and compromised servers are sending out millions of copies, and these botnets are routinely forging sending email information, and are routinely varying the content of the mail messages.

The message contents are further altered as response rates change, too.

These operations are well-automated businesses, and with lots of (“borrowed”) resources available to them.

This is not some person living in East Overshoe Harbor that’s sending out a couple of copies using their PC.

It’s a scam. (Thirteen pages of replies about this scam here in this thread, too.)

I just dissected this same bad-grammar-bad-wording message in another thread over here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255711296?answerId=261201190022&sortBy=oldest_first#261201190022

The exact same thing happened to me too this morning. I called them. Thank goodness I didn’t give them any more info than the dollar amount. I did read the text message to them so they verified my number received the scam message. The guy (“Richard” with a thick Indian or Pakastani or whatever accent) tried getting my name and user ID. When I started questioning him hard (I could hear someone taking to him in the background) he put me on mute (I believe to get instructions from the person I could hear). Thankfully I hung up on him then did internet search on this text and brought me here. I wish I’d done this first and I hope they don’t try to hack into my bank account. And, I think this all started with my new Windows 11 operating system on my laptop. Also got NordVPN which I’m not sure if it gives easier access for hackers to send malicious links or redirect to bad web sites. I called them back and another Indian answered the phone and I told them I knew this was a scam and would be reporting them.

I got the text today.

Most suspicious thing, it is coming from a hotmail account.

hotmail is run by Microsoft. I am sure the security team at Apple would use a Microsoft based account.

The wording was almost identical to the message that ronalee59 posted.

Mine says an "Apple iCloud id" and the phone number is different, but besides that it is almost the same.

Wow, I just got it. I’m not taking any action other than deleting and reporting as junk. What I don’t get, is where and how did they get my iMessage name? Or did they?

forward the text to reportphishing@apple.com

Report the text to your carrier

Delete the text.

do not click the link

do not call the number.

Recently i was hacked by the same notice, so guys just careful, don’t reply to this notice just delete it

regard