Watch Out For Those Scam Texts About Apple Products

The Scam Bait

I was working away at my computer, writing my latest award-winning (in my mind) article to share with you, when I received a text telling me that I needed to verify the purchase of an Apple Watch on Amazon.

Reacting to the Scam

My first instinct was to reply since my wife enjoys Apple products, but then I wondered—why would Amazon notify me instead of her? Then, my anti-scam training kicked in and I noticed that the text included a number to text back. Oddly this number was not the same as the one that sent the original message. Thankfully by now my scam senses started tingling, and instead of texting the unknown number, I texted a number I did know—my wife's.

As you’ve probably guessed, she had not purchased a watch and had heard about a similar scam message making its rounds. Here are some steps that I luckily did that kept me from falling for this false message:

Pause Before Acting

Scammers rely on urgency. They want you to act quickly before you can think things through. My message didn't warn me to act fast, maybe a shortfall of their strategy, but it did have a sense that it was current business and needed attention.

Share the Scam Experience

Reaching out before you act is a huge tool in your arsenal. I was so grateful that I reached out to my wife. She immediately was able to tell me that she had not made the purchase and had further information about similar scams.

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Use Your Own Contact Information

This one is huge. Never follow the contact details provided in the scam message. Scammers often slip their own fraudulent numbers into messages, hoping to lure you in. I am glad that I noticed that the provided number was unknown to me.

I hope this helps! If you get a text about an Apple product from Amazon, stay on high alert.