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User profile for user: Ogee47
Ogee47 Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

My Apple Pay was used for illegal activities

I just found out that my credit cards have been blocked by two banks because an unknown user has made three transactions for £50 on one of them and £50 on the other card. Both my cards are registered solely on Apple Pay. This mean Apple Pay must surely have allowed a third party to make illegal purchases through my account. As Apple Always tells you by email or text that someone has accessed your account, and considering I did not receive anything of the sort, am I to believe, Apple Community, that it was a worker at Apple that commited this Fraud? I am not implying anything about Apple, I'm just genuinely concerned for my heart which has medical complications. Thanks.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 12.7

Posted on Nov 19, 2024 6:01 PM

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User profile for user: Jeff Donald
Jeff Donald
User level: Level 7
25,257 points

Posted on Nov 20, 2024 5:04 AM

The information Apple has is encrypted and anonymous, meaning the information has no identifiers that can be linked to you. Only your bank and Payment Network Operator (Mastercard, Visa, etc.) have the key. This eliminates someone inside Apple.


The way most bank cards are compromised is through skimming and shimmering. Your financial and personal information is copied off your card when you swipe your card or insert the chip into a transaction terminal.


The data is then sold on the Dark Web and scammers make counterfeit copies and add the information to their Android and Apple devices. Your bank the verifies their identity and adds the card to their Google Pay and Apple Wallet. Now they can make fraudulent purchases.


Apple is not a bank and cannot verify your identity or approve or decline a transaction. That authority rests entirely with your bank. Apple Pay handles encrypted data between your iPhone and the merchant’s terminal. Beyond that they are out of the picture.


I’m truly sorry for your situation and will be happy to answer any questions I can.


Apple Pay component security - Apple Support


Paying with cards using Apple Pay - Apple Support


Legal - Apple Pay & Privacy- Apple


Card provisioning security overview - Apple Support

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Jeff Donald
Jeff Donald
User level: Level 7
25,257 points

Nov 20, 2024 5:04 AM in response to Ogee47

The information Apple has is encrypted and anonymous, meaning the information has no identifiers that can be linked to you. Only your bank and Payment Network Operator (Mastercard, Visa, etc.) have the key. This eliminates someone inside Apple.


The way most bank cards are compromised is through skimming and shimmering. Your financial and personal information is copied off your card when you swipe your card or insert the chip into a transaction terminal.


The data is then sold on the Dark Web and scammers make counterfeit copies and add the information to their Android and Apple devices. Your bank the verifies their identity and adds the card to their Google Pay and Apple Wallet. Now they can make fraudulent purchases.


Apple is not a bank and cannot verify your identity or approve or decline a transaction. That authority rests entirely with your bank. Apple Pay handles encrypted data between your iPhone and the merchant’s terminal. Beyond that they are out of the picture.


I’m truly sorry for your situation and will be happy to answer any questions I can.


Apple Pay component security - Apple Support


Paying with cards using Apple Pay - Apple Support


Legal - Apple Pay & Privacy- Apple


Card provisioning security overview - Apple Support

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My Apple Pay was used for illegal activities

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