Apple Pay is increasingly used as a form of payment, whether you’re looking to tap your Apple Watch in-store or use it when checking out at major retailers like Target and Etsy online.
The reason for this isn’t just because of how easy it is to use and set up with Mac – it’s also one of the safest ways to pay for things online. However, like most forms of payment, it is still possible for you to get scammed using Apple pay if you’re not careful.
In some cases, there are steps you can take to potentially recover your funds. In other cases, you may not be able to recover your money from an Apple Pay scam.
Either way, we’re going to look through the most common ways that Apple Pay users can be scammed, as if you want any chance of getting your money back, acting swiftly is crucial.
First: Apple Pay vs Apple Cash
Experiencing a scam involving Apple Pay is common, but this is much more likely to happen with Apple Cash, which is essentially a cash balance that you have in your account (it’s more similar to Cash App and Venmo).
Apple Cash scams are common, and this is because Apple Cash transactions require limited details from you, aside from confirming that you want to send money to the other person.
Perhaps the most common scam is someone requesting money from you via Apple Cash via your messages app – if you get scammed with this method, it’s very difficult for you to get your money back, and there’s no buyer protection if you send money to someone via Apple Cash.
Apple will never ask for you to pay for anything via Apple Cash (this also goes for your password, recovery key or other private information). So, be sure not to use an Apple Cash transfer unless you know who you’re transferring your money too.
You can also apply for an Apple Cash card, which is essentially a credit card that you can apply for – if you’re scammed using this, then you should follow regular credit card scam advice.
Apple Pay refers to the contactless payment technology we use to pay for things, which we’ll be looking at now.
Recognizing a Scam on Apple Pay
It’s not always easy to identify a scam. Common indicators include unauthorized transactions, phishing messages asking for sensitive information, or transactions that you don’t recognize on your account – it’s often that we don’t realize it’s happened until it’s too late..
The most common Apple pay scams are;
- Two-factor verification scam: This involves entering your 2FA details into something that isn’t the Apple Pay app – if you receive a text or call asking for your details, it’s possible that it’s a scammer trying to gain access to your Apple Pay.
- Apple Pay suspended: A more recent scam is to receive a message that your Apple Pay has been suspended, and that you need to click a link to reinstate it. When you click the link, you’ll be asked to enter your Apple Pay details – doing this gives them everything they need to use your Apple pay account.
- Fake sellers: Maybe the most common scam is purchasing something using Apple Pay transactions only for the received item to be fake, stolen or in some cases, not even received.
What to Do to Try and Get Your Money Back
Now, because Apple Pay is just the payment system used, in many cases it’s actually not Apple Pay that you need to deal with – it’s the card that you’ve added to your Apple wallet app instead. Because of this, it depends on a few factors, like whether you’ve used a credit or debit card to make the payment.
If you suspect a scam, your immediate response should be:
- Contact Apple Support: Reach out to Apple Support directly. They can provide specific guidance and take necessary actions, such as securing your account.
- Report to the Bank or Card Issuer: Inform the bank or financial institution linked to your Apple Pay. They can initiate a fraud investigation and potentially halt the transaction.
Apple have specific policies in place regarding fraudulent transactions. Familiarize yourself with these to set realistic expectations about the recovery process, and be sure to collect all relevant information about the transaction, including date, amount, and recipient.
Though you may want Apple to help you out, it’s unlikely they’ll take responsibility for any payments made using credit or debit cards via Apple Pay, as this comes directly out of your bank account. So, in most cases, you should reach out to your bank for help.
Conclusion
Finally, ensure this doesn’t happen again by enabling Two-Factor Authentication on your device, which adds an extra layer of security to your Apple ID and transactions.
It’s also a good idea to keep regularly monitoring transactions, as double checking your transaction history will help you to spot any irregularities quickly. he key to dealing with Apple Pay scams is prompt action and awareness of the right steps to take
