Do you have an iPad, an iMac. or phone?

If so, you must stay alert.

Scammers have been sending messages via text and email which say that a suspicious Apple Pay transaction was blocked.  The sender asks you to call a number to resolve the problem.

You must not make that call – the chances are that it is a scam.

Apple Insider news said: “These emails are not coming from Apple, despite logos, formatting, and sender names crafted to look convincing.”

Apple doesn’t set up fraud appointments through email. The company also doesn’t ask users to fix billing problems by calling numbers in random messages.

If you get an email from Apple that you didn’t ask for, don’t click on any links, call any numbers, or download any attachments. Instead, just open the Settings app on your device or go straight to Apple’s official website by typing the address yourself.

Report suspicious emails by forwarding them to Apple’s abuse address, then delete the message. Using two factor authentication, strong unique passwords, and a default assumption that urgent billing emails are fake remains the most effective defense.