Consumer complaint received 2023-11-06
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem — 
Company: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA (NC)

On XXXX, my Apple ID was hacked and taken over. That evening I received a call from XXXX, the Apple Card Goldman Sachs number. I had two recent fraudulent transactions : {$9600.00} on XXXX and {$3600.00} on XXXX both attempted at XXXX XXXX somewhere in Florida. The caller claimed to be a representative from Apple Card services. The caller told me that they could see that I had fraudulent activity on my account. The caller knew the specific amounts of the two fraudulent transactions and where they were from, as well as my last legitimate transaction {$32.00} at XXXX. The caller also knew my address and asked me to confirm it. The caller said he needed to send me a message to my Apple ID with a code to verify my identity so that he could secure my account. 

That is where everything went wrong. 

As soon as I gave the representative the code, I got an alert saying that my password had been changed. I began trying to change the password backand was not as fast as the hacker. 

That code is what gave the hacker access to my apple account -- which allowed him to change the trusted phone number, password, and ultimately the email/Apple ID on the account. Once he took over my account, he then had access to my apple wallet which not only had my Apple Credit Card, but also my XXXX XXXX, and my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Within moments, he had transferred {$500.00}, {$500.00}, {$500.00} out of my account checking account through Apple Cash.

In the same moment of the first Apple Cash transfer and realizing he was actually a hacker/scammer, I also received a text from my bank asking if the {$500.00} was a fraudulent transaction. The text message allowed me to report the transaction as a fraudulent charge and request a call from the fraud department. Within moments, I spoke with the fraud department and canceled my card. However, the hacker had already succeeded in completing the three charges before I was able to cut off my card. My bank began a fraud investigation with Apple Cash at this time. 

Next, I opened my XXXX mobile app to lock my card and request a new number. Thankfully, the hacker had not made any charges on my XXXX card. 

After that call, I contacted Apple Card Services to place a hold on my account so that the card could not be used while I attempted to sort out the Apple ID credentials and hopefully regain access to my account. It took a few hours to speak to a person from Apple Card Services, so some charges were made during that timebut Apple Card was able to deny them without problem. Once I spoke to someone, a hold was placed on my account and I was told to call back once I got everything sorted out to regain access to my card.

That evening, I began my first of many conversations with Apple Support trying to recover my account. Each conversation with Apple has been extremely difficult simply because my apple identity no longer is supported by Appleessentially when the hacker took over my account, he erased my identity. ( While there is encrypted data that will always live on in the Apple world with my previous Apple ID, my old Apple ID is no longer supported, and therefore it appears as if it doesnt exist ). Working with the specialist, I submitted tickets to Apple technical support to help with account recovery or activation lock. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in gaining access to my original Apple ID, and it was apparent that I was going to have to create a new Apple Identity and then get past the activation lock. Throughout this entire process, each time I spoke with a specialist, they told me they were leaving detailed notes on my account. Each time I spoke with anyone from Apple Card or Apple Support I continued to have to detail the entire ordeal over as if the notes did not exist while new notes were being created. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, as soon as the fraudulent transactions were posted to my bank account and I was able to see the phone number for Apple Cash, I called in to see if I could start a dispute on the charges. At first it was not easy to do because my Apple ID was no longer supported by Apple. Thankfully, because I was the family organizer within our Apple family, using my childs device, I was able to see the email address of the hacker who took over my account -- and was able to provide that email address/Apple ID to the Apple Cash representative. With that information, the representative was able to see all of the transactions. That day, I created a dispute case with Apple Cash representative. She also helped me by blocking the hacker from having access to my children 's accounts. She told me that I should be hearing back from someone within about ten days about the dispute. 

Fast forward to XX/XX/XXXX, I got a letter from my bank stating that they have granted me a provisional credit for the {$1500.00} while they continue to investigate the fraud. 

Then on XX/XX/XXXX, I got another letter from my bank, with included documents from Apple Cash stating that because all of the charges were done through the wallet using " XXXX  '' they must have been authorized by user -- and if I felt like I had a legitimate dispute to respond in writing to them. Before I sat down to respond, I called Apple Cash back to check on the status of my dispute, speaking with XXXX, which is when I found out that they had been sending emails and not getting any response. I asked which address the emails had been going to and was told that the emails were being sent to the Apple ID on file. The emails about the dispute were being sent to the hacker himself. Imagine how dumbfounded I was to find out that I had opened a dispute case to get money back that was stolen from me only to find out that the person who stole it from me was receiving emails about the dispute. I was told " this is just how the system works and you should pray about it. 

The information from Apple Cash stated a few key points which I sent to my bank in my dispute email : This dispute was not from my original dispute, but the banks dispute. 
The phone number of the account holder ( XXXX ) is not mine ( ending in XXXX ) ( nor my husbands -- ending in XXXX ). Our phone numbers have been the same for well over a decade ( I did change my number when I moved from XXXX, NC to XXXX NC in XXXX -- but I've had the same number since ... My husband has had the same phone number for at least 20 years. ) In the dispute paperwork, it says that for tenure " most recent card added in the last 7 days of transaction. For device trust is a " new device with not enough history and information to establish trust in the XXXX XXXX. '' The Phone number trust is a " new phone number on a device '' with " insufficient history and information to establish trust in the Apple ecosystem '' How was this not called into question? 
At the top of the same sheet, it shows that I sent apple cash to my child in XXXX. Considering the previous tenure/new device/new number, how would any of this be possible if I have been using Apple cash with my debit card, Apple ID ( established XXXX XXXX ), and ( this ) phone ( since XX/XX/XXXX )? 
The Apple Cash was sent to " XXXX '' which XXXX tells me is a " prepaid mobile phone. '' I have never sent money to any prepaid mobile phones through any of my apple cash .... And, my carrier is XXXX XXXX XXXX, and have never had a prepaid service. I mainly only send my children money through apple cash, as this is their main way of receiving their allowance. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I went to an Apple Genius Bar where I was able to complete the process of resetting my phone and getting a new Apple IDwhich will finally allow me to start over in the XXXX XXXX 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Apple Support to update my Apple ID in the system. Then I was switched to Apple Cash where I first found out that the hacker was awarded the dispute, so the money was given back to the hacker -- but thankfully with blocking the account that my first Apple Cash representative did, it locked the hacker from having access to the money. But, I also don't have access to it. Then I was sent to a supervisor who worked very hard to connect a lot of dots to help possibly get the money that I do not have access to awarded to me so that I can pay my bank back. 

Finally, I think spoke with Apple Card where I was hopeful to sort out my Apple Card issues. Previously, I had been given the impression that I could transfer the card account to a new ID ( so much so that I have notes about it ), but I found out on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX that my Apple Card could not be transferred to a different account -- that it would always be associated with the previous account. I asked to close the account, and then inquired about how I would receive my bills, as Apple Card users receive their bills within their Apple Wallet app. I was told that the bill would be sent via email. When I asked the representative if the email containing the bill would be coming to my new Apple ID email or if she wanted another email address, she let me know that the bills would be going to the Apple ID email on the account associated with the Apple Card. Meaning that the hacker will get a monthly email from Goldman Sachs Apple Card with my personal information. I challenged, and begged the representative to change this and not allow this to happen and was told " there is nothing we can do '' and " I can put a note in your account. '' I told the representative that I had very little faith in the notes that were left on my account. I asked to escalate to a supervisor above her and was told there was no one who could do anything to prevent the hacker from getting my personal information -- or for me to get a bill without calling in, verifying my identity, and requesting one each month.

I am very concerned about the fact that the hacker already had so much access to my personal information from the security breach that took place when he hacked my Apple ID, but finding out that he got more personal information during the Apple Cash dispute, and that he will continue to get my personal information monthly for the foreseeable from Apple Card until the outstanding balance is satisfied is alarming and should be easily preventable. 

-- - In addition to all of this, I have also created a police report, a report with my attorney general, a report with the FBI, and the FTC.