The text says you owe $8,250. It says you have a short window to call a number before the charge goes through. The money would come out of your Apple Pay account.
It is a scam. Cybercrime officials in the Nashville area are warning residents about it, according to WSMV, and the amount is only the hook.
The person who picks up when you call is not from Apple. Officials say it is a criminal in a call center, playing the part of an Apple Support employee. What they want is your name, your credit card number, or the email address tied to your Apple account. Anything the caller collects can be used against you later.
Investigators call this kind of text “smishing,” phishing by SMS. The agents who described it say stopping it is simple. If a message announces a large, unexpected charge, don’t call the number in it. Open your Apple Pay app, or go straight to your bank’s website, and look at your account yourself. If there is no such charge, there is nothing to fix.
Don’t give banking details or personal information to anyone who contacts you out of the blue, even someone who says they work for Apple Support. And watch the clock. Scammers lean on deadlines and fear because a rushed person makes poor choices, so the agents’ advice is to stop and think before you act.
Don’t reply to the text. Report it to your local law enforcement agency.
Law enforcement agencies keep warning residents about new phone and online scams, and the schemes often target the elderly. For families, that can mean a quick call to a parent or grandparent is worth making.
