Apple and Netflix customers are being targeted in a fake invoice e-mail scam duping them into handing over their bank details 

  • Rise in fake Apple invoices looking to steal card details of worried people
  • E-mail says users have bought music or Netflix subscriptions in App store
  • Contains 'refund' link where people are duped into sharing card numbers
  • Apple has warned people it would never ask for card details on an email   

Apple customers are being targeted in a series of new scams involving invoices containing fake iTunes, App Store or Netflix purchases.

The bogus emails – likely to have been sent to thousands of people - are aimed at stealing your bank details by making people think someone has gone shopping using your Apple account.

The invoices seen by MailOnline and all headed with the Apple logo and using its distinctive font, say the user has bought music on iTunes or purchased a new annual Netflix subscription.

Victims scared they have been defrauded have clicked on a 'refund' link where they fill in their card details, which are sent to cyber criminals.

Apple today warned people to ignore the emails and says they would never ask for bank details or the three-digit security code on the back of your card by email.

Police have also been sharing images of the Netflix email on Twitter to warn people not to be duped. 

Scam: Thess bogus emails are targeting Apple customers in the hope they will click on a refund link and send their card details to cyber criminals

Scam: Thess bogus emails are targeting Apple customers in the hope they will click on a refund link and send their card details to cyber criminals

Caution: The scam  scares victims into thinking someone has gone shopping with their bank details by emailing them a fake invoice, often linked to iTunes purchases like music and films

Caution: The scam scares victims into thinking someone has gone shopping with their bank details by emailing them a fake invoice, often linked to iTunes purchases like music and films

The tech giant has not commented on the scam emails, which appear to be sent widely in the hope recipients are Apple customers.

A message arrives in your inbox purporting to be from Apple topped with its famous logo. 

WHAT APPLE SAY TO DO ABOUT PHISHING EMAILS

Apple said the iTunes Store will never ask you to provide personal information or sensitive account information such as passwords or credit card numbers via email.

Email messages that contain attachments or links to non-Apple websites are from sources other than Apple, although they may appear to be from the iTunes Store. 

Most often, these attachments are malicious and should not be opened. You should never enter your Apple account information on any non-Apple website. 

Apple websites that require Account information have apple.com, such as http://store.apple.com, or iforgot.apple.com(with the exception being iCloud.com). 

The iTunes Store will never ask you to provide via email:

· Social Security Number

· Mother's maiden name

· Full credit card number

· Credit card CCV code

Report iMessages that look like spam or junk HERE or find out if you have been defrauded HERE 

The subject reads 'Your invoice' and shows a confirmation of a recent purchase. At the end of the e-mail, it says you can cancel the purchase within 14 days. 

Emails seen by MailOnline show purchases of film soundtracks, singles and solo albums. 

I another similar phishing email Apple customers are told they have bought a £36 for a Netflix subscription, purchased from the App Store.

When you click on it, you're taken through steps to claim a refund. But the idea is to trick you into handing over your bank details.

The e-mail looks similar to official Apple correspondence and includes its logo, font - and a fake copyright symbol.  

The wording is also similar to Apple's own. Money Mail alerted Action Fraud to the scam and it is investigating.

To check your recent transactions log in to your account via iTunes or go to reportaproblem.apple.com.

Apple customers have long been targeted by cyber criminal gangs. 

In 2014 scammers used fears about the News of the World celebrity hacking scandal to trick people into entering their Apple ID and password details into a fake login screen.

Security experts  discovered emails and text messages that claim to be from Apple, warning users about unauthorised access to their accounts.

The latest threat to people's accounts comes as both the FBI and Apple have said they are investigating the link. 

Scammers are then able to steal these login credentials to get access to the user's iCloud, which also provides access to their iTunes account and personal details. 

In March Apple customers were targeted by hackers  in an attack on Mac computers.

Called KeRanger, hackers infected the computers with this malicious software through a tainted copy of a popular program known as Transmission.

Security researchers said on their blog that KeRanger is programmed to stay quiet for three days after infecting a computer.

It then connects to the attacker's server, starts encrypting files so they can't be accessed and demands a ransom of 1 bitcoin, or about $400, to unlock the computer.  

Fake contact: This email for a Paulo Nutini  album has been sent out by criminal gangs looking to steal personal information

Fake contact: This email for a Paulo Nutini  album has been sent out by criminal gangs looking to steal personal information

It comes after we warned earlier in the year about the rise of e-mails from fraudsters which use familiar household brands in order to steal details.

This includes British Gas, with criminals sending out fake utility bills containing viruses.   

Embedded in these scam e-mails can be malware links which fraudsters use to lurk in the background of your computer and pounce when you bank online - and the same is true of text messages. 

Last year, online fraud was up a whopping 64 per cent on the year before to reach £133.5million according to Financial Fraud UK. 

At the same time, phone banking fraud was up 92 per cent.

In June, we published a spot the scam article containing 13 e-mails, answer phone messages, text messages and scenarios – can you guess which ones are genuine contact, and which ones aren't? 

Above, we have attached two e-mails allegedly sent by Apple. Both are fake, despite using the Apple logo, having genuine looking disclaimers at the bottom and using font similar to the American giant.

However, the blue links are likely to contain malware or redirect you to dodgy websites which ask you for personal details.

A clear sign these are fake are the fact they have come from spurious-looking e-mail addresses - if in doubt, get in touch with customer services of the brand in question. 

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