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Delivery couriers targeted in iTunes gift cards scam
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Tuesday (May 10) warned of the re-emergence of scams targeting delivery couriers.To get more news about 海外充值苹果礼品卡, you can visit nnxwheels.com official website.
There have been several victims since April, with losses amounting to at least S$2,000, said the police.In the first variant scammers would submit a request through a delivery platform.
They would then contact the assigned courier and ask for help in purchasing iTunes gift cards from convenience stores at the pick-up location and delivering the gift cards to the drop-off location.
Then, the scammer would ask the courier to scratch and reveal the code behind the card and send a photo of the code as proof of purchase.
After the courier has done so, the scammers would become uncontactable without reimbursing the courier’s payment for the gift cards.In the second scam variant, a remittance agency would be indicated as a pickup location for a delivery.
The scammer would then contact the assigned courier and ask the courier to transfer a certain amount of money to an overseas account, promising an attractive tip of at least S$100 per remittance.
Victims would only realise they had been cheated when the scammers then became uncontactable and they found no one at the delivery location to make payment for the remittance.
The police advised members of the public to observe these crime prevention measures:
Do not accept dubious job offers that offer lucrative returns for minimal effort;
Never assist anyone, whom you have not met in person, with any monetary transfers, including remittance;
Never provide the codes for gift cards without first receiving payment;
Report the scammer to the delivery platform customer service immediately;
Providing remittance services without a licence is an offence that carries a fine of up to S$125,000, up to three years' jail, or both, the police warned.
Apple Gift card Scam: What is it? An Overview
Payments for taxes, medical expenses, bail, debt collection and energy bills are just some of the many scams that are being perpetrated against unsuspecting victims by requesting money over the phone. Gift card scams are just one of a number of ways scams are perpetrated.To get more news about 充值苹果礼品卡, you can visit nnxwheels.com official website.
App Store & iTunes Gift Cards or Apple Gift Cards are sometimes requested by fraudsters to obtain the codes needed for the fraudulent purchases.
Whatever the motive for payment, scams follow a set pattern:
Upon receiving the call, the victim feels a sense of impending doom and is compelled to buy iTunes or App Store Gift Cards from the nearby merchant (convenience store, electronics retailer etc.).
Callers ask victims to pay by sharing their credit card codes with them through phone after they’ve purchased their cards.
You should be aware that App Store and iTunes Gift Cards can only be used to purchase goods and services from the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, for an Apple Music membership, or to store files in iCloud.
If you purchase an Apple Store Gift Card, you can only use it on the Apple Online Store and in Apple Retail Stores.
Using the cards for any other purpose is a strong indication that you’re the victim of a scam and should be reported immediately to the Action Fraud.
This fraud is sometimes used in conjunction with the scam involving a fictitious receipt. After entering your information on a false Apple page after clicking on a spoof email link, you may receive an alert saying that your account has been locked because of suspicious behavior. As a last step, it will present you with a “unlock” option that needs you to enter personal information such as your name and Social Security number. Scammers may send an iMessage warning that your Apple ID has been locked because it is soon to expire, leading you to believe the fraud is real. If you respond to the message by filling out a form, you’re giving the hackers access to your personal information.
Apple ID order receipt scam
Emails purporting to be sent from Apple, claiming that your ID has been used to make an online purchase, usually with a PDF receipt included as “evidence,” are common in this type of fraud. Either confirm or pay for the purchase will be requested in the email.
Apple phone – Calendar invitation scam:
Your iCloud calendar could be inundated with an invitation from an anonymous sender inviting you to a meeting or event, frequently with the promise of quick cash, pornography, or drugs. By responding to the offer in any form, you put yourself at risk of falling victim to phishing or at the at least, receiving additional spam. Please be aware not to click the unknown link.
Apple Gift Card Scams Cost Canadians Millions a Class Action Lawsuit Claims
Apple has been targeted in a class action lawsuit Canada initiated over gift card scams. The Apple gift card scams class action lawsuit claims victims have not been reimbursed all of their money from the scams and that Apple is profiting from them. To get more news about 海外充值苹果礼品卡, you can visit nnxwheels.com official website.
The Apple gift card scams class action lawsuit alleges that Apple breached duties to the Class Members by acting in bad faith.
The lead plaintiff, Michael Ferracci, and the Class Members are seeking a total of $100,000,000 in damages including statutory damages, damages for negligence, breach of contract, and breach of the duty of good faith.
Around Oct. 4, 2019, Michael received several emails from a scammer pretending to be his employer, who was abroad. The emails demanded he buy ten $100 Apple gift cards and send each of the gift cards’ redemption codes back in an email.
Michael was unaware he was corresponding with a scammer and he completed the directions in the emails. He bought ten Apple gift cards at Shoppers Drug Mart, according to the Apple gift card scams class action lawsuit. Then, the scam allegedly continued asking Michael to buy more Apple gift cards. He went back to the same store to purchase them, but the manager of the store advised him that the gift card purchases were very suspicious. He directed Michael to contact his employer directly to confirm the directions.
At this point, Michael realized he was the victim of a scam and contacted Apple to seek advice. A representative reportedly told him that this gift card fraud is very common and Apple regularly receives calls from customers asking for their money back. Luckily, Apple had the ability to deflect seven of the gift card balances from the scammer and give $700 back to Michael. However, he did not receive the other $300 back. According to the Apple gift card scams class action lawsuit, Apple knows whether the other $300 was accessible or not. It is allegedly suspected that they kept it as a “commission” on Michael’s purchases.
The Apple gift card scam class action lawsuit is alleging that Apple owes the Class Members contractual and statutory duties under the Consumer Protection Act and Equivalent Consumer Protection Legislation.
The Apple gift card scam class action lawsuit Canada accuses Apple of breaching their duties and inducing damages. According to Apple’s terms, they take fraud seriously and they hold the right to cancel credits and accounts. The Apple gift card scam class action lawsuit argues that there is an implied term in the Apple agreement that explains the rights to protect gift card purchasers from scammers. In addition, more implications in the agreement say that Apple will not ignore scam activities involving their gift cards. Apple reportedly asserts that its terms are limited to gift cards being stolen, lost, or used without consent. Apple does not claim liability for loss due to gift card scams. Apple gift card scams commonly begin with the crook creating a situation that gets the victim into a panic in order to get them to comply with the “urgency” of demands. Canadians reportedly lose millions of dollars annually due to scams. Scammers often use gift cards to funnel money and according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, between $6 million and $7 million annually has been lost in gift card scams between 2017 and 2019.
The Apple gift card scams class action lawsuit says that Apple is aware that their gift cards are popular amongst scammers. Fraudsters make money from the Apple gift card scams by selling the redemption codes at a discount, or they make purchases with the gift cards in the Apple Store app. When the scammers make purchases with the Apple gift cards, Apple makes a profit. Or when people purchase Apple redemption codes from the scammers, they too are making purchases from Apple, bringing in profits.
The class action lawsuit Canada alleges that Apple makes money by telling scam victims that there is no way to recoup their stolen funds, but in reality, they do have the know-how to reverse the funds back to the victims.
Thieves used Apple's own devices to steal millions in gift cards
Thieves first stole Apple Store employees' sales devices, then sent themselves Apple gift cards, in a scheme said to cost Apple $1.5 million over two years.To get more news about 充值苹果礼品卡, you can visit nnxwheels.com official website.
Most Apple Gift Card scams involve users being ripped off over fake ones, but in the case of Jason Tout-Puissant and Syed Ali, the cards were genuine — but stolen. The two are currently facing sentencing in a case concerning $1.5 million of stolen gift cards.
According to Business Insider, Tout-Puissant stole multiple "Isaac" handheld devices from Apple Store employees. These are the iPhone-based devices that allow any retail staff to take payments, instead of requiring buyers to queue at checkouts.
Once in possession of an Issac, Tout-Puissant reportedly sat outside the Apple Store, so that he remained on its staff Wi-Fi network. He then issued thousands of dollars of Apple Gift Cards at a time, and texted them to Ali.Tout-Puissant is said to have done this at many Apple Stores across the US, and then always sent them to Ali, who would be waiting in a different state. Ali would then go into a local Apple Store and buy Apple goods using the gift cards.
The pair, and at least one other unnamed co-conspirator, repeatedly performed this act between 2015 and 2017. It included a total of $50,000 that was taken in 26 digital gift cards, from the Apple Southlake Town Square store in Texas.
Court filings do not describe how Tout-Puissant was so consistently able to steal the Apple Store devices, but he and Ali were charged in 2019.
Ali, who is reportedly ill, agreed to aid prosecutors in their case against Tout-Puissant. The latter insisted on his innocence until May 2021, when he pleaded guilty to the Apple Southlake thefts.