"Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" Phishing Scams

Apple customers are asked to be aware of fake "Apple Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" iTunes invoices (see below), which claim that they have purchased iCloud storage, and if they did not authorize the purchases or payments they should cancel or downgrade it. The fake email invoices are being sent by scammers to frighten and trick the recipients into clicking on the links within them by claiming they need to do so in order to cancel the purchases and get a refund. But, once the recipients click on the link in the fake email invoices, they will be taken to a phishing website that steals personal, financial, and Apple credentials (usernames and passwords).

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Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification Phishing Scams

Therefore, Apple customers who have received email invoices appearing as if they were sent from Apple, should avoid clicking on the links in them. They should instead, sign directly into the iTunes Store on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, or Apple TV and check their accounts.

Sample of an "Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" Phishing Scam

From: Apple Billing - secured-uppds-account-auth-lang-en-sxvefdertdcfsdauth13 @janganpanik.net

Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2018 2:58:22 PM

Subject: RE : [Alerts - Recent Activity] Your payment has been Scheduled [CONFIRMATION]

Dear Client,

This email confirms payment for the iCloud storage plan listed below. You will be billed each month unless you cancel. *To cancel, downgrade your storage plan from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC.

Order ID : SN8S97DG028

Date of Purchase : Saturday, May 19, 2018

Payment Method : iTunes

Item : 2 TB Storage

Subtotal : $19.99

Tax : $0

Total : $19.99

You may cancel or downgrade from your device at any time. You may contact Apple for a full refund within 7 days of a monthly subscription upgrade or within 15 days after a yearly payment. Partial refunds are available where required by law.

Click For Cancel or Downgrade

*Please feel free to use support. You can check the details of the product, download the latest software update, share hints and solutions with other users. Also,You can choose the method that is most suitable for you.

TM and Copyright © 2018 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

Apple ID | Support | Privacy Policy

Recipients of the email voices claiming that they have ordered a product they did not, and who have clicked on the link in them, should change their Apple password and contact Apple Support for help. And, the best protection against phishing scams is to avoid clicking on links in email messages, social media messages, and text messages to sign into online accounts.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 5)

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. We will use your IP address to display your approximate location to other users when you make a post. That location is not enough to find you.

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July 28, 2020 at 4:10 PM by
"Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" Phishing Scams
info

"From: romano2.activehosted.com@s14.avl3.acemsrvc.com <romano2.activehosted.com@s14.avl3.acemsrvc.com> on behalf of AppStore <support@gift.com>

Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2020 9:37 AM

Subject: Re: Thanks for your purchased

Invoice

Gift to

BILLED TO

App Store()

Invoice Date

28 July 2020

Order ID

IOK88S09841 N. DOCUMENT

157288894885

App Store PRICE

GIFT: iCloud Storage 1TB

Email Delivery

renewal on 27/08/2020

Cancel now> € 17.49

TOTAL € 17.49

Get support for subscriptions and purchases. Visit to Support ."

Another scam.

Delete

April 18, 2019 at 2:25 PM by
"Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" Phishing Scams
an anonymous user from: Concord, New Hampshire, United States

Is this a scam?

iCloud <do_not_reply@email.apple.com>

Thu 4/18/2019 1:05 PM

Dear xxxxxxx,

We were unable to successfully bill your payment method. As a result, your 50 GB storage plan has been cancelled effective today and we will no longer bill your payment method.

The iCloud Team

Delete

April 18, 2019 at 2:55 PM by
"Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" Phishing Scams
info

We cannot tell by looking at the text from the email. We need the actual email to determine if it is a scam or not.

But, you can sign into your iCloud account and view the notification there. If there is no notification, it is a scam.

Instead of clicking on links in emails, always go directly to your account and check for status and notifications.

Delete

November 16, 2018 at 11:24 AM by
"Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" Phishing Scams
an anonymous user from: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

I had an experience once that Apple wanted to charge me for something I didn't want, so when I saw this Ithought here we go again.

However when I clicked on the link, it was not found. It was over 2 weeks old, so I guess it was remove.

Thank Goodness so I started searching scams. Thank YOu

Delete

October 23, 2018 at 8:01 AM by
"Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" Phishing Scams
an anonymous user from: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

I just received an email from "Apple iCloud" stating that I am being charged $15.85 monthly for 1 TB storage in the cloud. In truth, I recently maximized my minimal storage that costs $0.99 monthly and authorized a modest increase.

So, now I'm wondering if there is a security breach with Apple that this scammer got my email?

The ONLY way that I realized this is a scam is a grammatical error in the explanation. Otherwise I was very tempted to click the link to cancel the order. Instead I googled "Apple iCloud storage scams" and found this explanation.

Thanks very much to whoever created this site! It's dangerous out there, so be careful.

Delete

Write Your Comment, Question, Answer, or Review

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

"Apple iCloud Storage Cancel or Downgrade Order Notification" Phishing Scams