This is a phishing attempt - can you figure out how I can tell?

[msc545]

Dear Apple Customers,

Your ID Apple may be locked for security reasons.

It looks like your account is out of date and needs to update the account ownership information, so we can protect the account and improve our service to maintain your privacy.

To continue using your account again, we advise you to update the information before 48 hours or your Apple ID will be permanently locked.

Go to: https://service.apple.com let renew now and follow all step.

Sincerely,
The Apple Store Team,
Apple ID Support Privacy Policy

Updates

+1 y

Ok, this was initially easy for me to identify as a scam. I was trying to see if others could - glad to see *everyone* can!

[OlderAndWiser]

1. The overall content is a typical scam.

2. The email contains a few typos and grammatical errors.

3. Do you have an Apple product? I get emails and calls about my Bank of America Visa every few months, and I don't have such a card.

[msc545]

So many people don't identify phishing attempts and get caught up in them. The really good tries consist of perfect grammar and spelling, and the only way you can tell is by looking at or checking the sender's email address.

I don't (and won't) own an Apple product, but still get a few of these every month.

[OlderAndWiser]

Okay, since I guessed correctly, you owe me $100,000.

[Jessica405]

ROFLMAO!

[OlderAndWiser]

I guess I got MHO instead of $100,000. Okay!

[goaded]

Grammar, spelling? "Your ID Apple", "follow all step". On the other hand, the link looks valid, unless there's a strange character that just looks like an "o" or and "l"?

[goaded]

www.bbc.co.uk/.../p09hbzz6

[Smashingdoozy]

Dear Apple Customers, (not addressed by name)



Your ID Apple may be locked for security reasons. (It's Apple ID)


It looks like your account is out of date and needs to update the account ownership information, so we can protect the account and improve our service to maintain your privacy.


(Structure of sentence is off as if a non English speaking person has sent it)



To continue using your account again, we advise you to update the information before 48 hours or your Apple ID will be permanently locked.


(They wouldn't write this)


Go to: https://service.apple.com let renew now and follow all step.


(Doesn't make sense and is not an apple website)


Sincerely,
The Apple Store Team,


(why would the apple store contract you about an ID)
Apple ID Support Privacy Policy


(this makes it out to seem there's a separate privacy policy for apple ID support)




The whole thing scream scam. I'm sure the email address was weird as well and probably didn't have all the appropriate links at the bottom, no do not reply etc etc

[Aguysopinion4799]

Nice break down on it! With that kind of information you have made it clear that we don't need to panic when seeing these types of messages :)

I get things like this sometimes but because I get them so much and also ones about my phone and they tell me my Iphone is going to be locked and I don't own an Iphone, it is pretty easy, but the ones related to a device you own you have to realise the parts that the company just would not say, like with the saying they would permanently lock it or in another one I got where they said they would delete all my information on my phone unless I enter my card details, I mean, be real -__-

[Smashingdoozy]

Yeah it's most likely that the company would actually never contact you about something wrong with your phone, computer or anything really. It's up to the customer to contact when things go wrong.

[MrOracle]

The most obvious reason is that accounts don't "go out of date" and don't get locked after 48 hours. Also, such an email wouldn't be from "The Apple Store Team", and that same team wouldn't be responsible for the "Apple ID Support Privacy Policy". Finally, if you ever get an email like this, never, EVER click on the link in the email. If you want to check, open up a browser and manually type in the address. The link won't take you where it looks like it's taking you - you'll end up on a page that looks similar, but has the wrong address. They want you to type in your ID and password on THEIR website, which they will then use to take over your actual account.

[Account]

Grammar mistakes and you also - probably- don't even have an apple ID.

I have received such emails supposedly from: Paypal, Bank of America (I live in Europe), Amazon and even banks that are located in the country I live in. Common scam. Sadly there are many older people who happen to fall for it ☹️

[Gray-Wisp]

Other than the grammar and stuff that people pointed out, the fact that it's service. apple. Apple should come first and then service after? That one means that service is the main one and apple is just a sub of it. I forgot the terminology. Might be going into cyber security soon.

[Gray-Wisp]

https://www.apple.com/tv/ for example.

[goaded]

You might like to look up how domain names work.

In this case, support. apple. com, support would be a subdomain of apple. com, and under Apple's control.

Like https://news.bbc.co.uk/ is a subdomain of https://bbc.co.uk (it does redirect to https://www.bbc.co.uk/news)

What does happen is people register domains with non-US characters in them that look like the target they're after. In this case, though, the address can't connect, so they're probably hoping suckers will respond to the email, instead.

[Gray-Wisp]

@goaded Yeah, I'm not good with that stuff yet. I haven't really gone into that yet.

[goaded]

Don't worry about it, it's the right kind of thing to keep an eye open for.

[Smashingdoozy]

Apple does use for example support. apple. com but they do not have a service section as far as I can see

[WowwGirl]

Yes for many reasons wording isn't correct for a corporations letter not to mention asking for information like it did

[msc545]

Not to mention the fact that Apple NEVER admits when anything is wrong with their stuff.

[WowwGirl]

I'm not that nerdy I didn't know that part🤣

[jshm2]

If you're being personally "informed," then it should have your name at the least. Then you have all the common scam traits.

[Soteris]

Ah haa! You have activated my trap card! I dont have any damn apple accounts!

[JuliaStyles]

I get the same thing from Microsoft. I just ignore it.

[kkirk4442]

Why would you need to update the account ownership information? The only reason they would need to do that, is if they don't know who you are in the first place.

[DaveToo]

It used to be when you held your cursor over the link it showed the ACTUAL link instead of the fake one.

[exitseven]

I always ignore anything unsolicited. If it is important they will send me a registered letter.

[Wise4myage]

Yeah, Apple would never ask that in the first place. Something similar to this is happening on Amazon too.

[Phoenix98]

If you have an apple store where you live I'd suggest going to them directly, showing them the message and getting it sorted out. Or calling them and trying to figure it out.

[douride2]

I got a similar one some time back. Only difference was it came from Windows.

[karaspara]

How did you figure it out?

[msc545]

Very easily. Read it.

[karaspara]

I would be suspicious but I can see how people would fall for it

[Jamie05rhs]

"let renew now and follow all step" LOL

[Iron_Man]

It’s a scam

[msc545]

yes it is. How can you tell?

[SuccessfulHornDog]

Is that the exact url from the email?