Sour “Apple”

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…

Pardon the shopworn cliché, but today’s missive amplifies why cyber security and security surrounding personal information in general is one of the most in-demand client service niches in the accounting profession.

Some of you may recall several months back I reported receiving a series of sham phone calls from folks claiming to be from the IRS who warned me that I owed a large amount in unpaid taxes. If I didn’t tender X amount immediately I would be subject to “severe” (their term not mine) legal action.

Of course having covered the profession for 12 years I at least knew that the IRS never calls, rather they send you a letter. So as you can imagine I had a lot of fun when I called the number they left and proceeded to skewer the fraud on the other end of the phone.

But I did think that once tax season done, the calls claiming that I owed a large debt to the IRS would cease.

Well the IRS calls did indeed stop, only to be replaced by ones purportedly from Apple. Yes that Apple.

In the span of five minutes I received no less than four automated messages from the company that “thinks differently” claiming a security breach with my iCloud application. A half hour later, three more calls from a 718 area code which anyone from New York knows is either Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx or Staten Island.

Sort of strange locations for Apple.

Personally my mobile phone is a Samsung, but the rest of my family are dedicated iPhone users. So with 8 voice mail messages in queue I decided to again add a little humor to what heretofore had been a rather uneventful day and call the number identified as tech support.

And once again the conversation went something like this…

Me: “Yes I received a message that there was a breach in my iCloud application.”

Apple Tech Support (obviously from a call center in Mumbai): “Yes, we need to verify some credit card information.”

Me: “Tell me how did you get my home number? We only have our mobile phones registered with Apple.”

Tech Support: (Pause). “Um, it was on your bill of sale when you bought the phones.”

Me: “No it wasn’t I have a copy right in front of me. Can I speak to your supervisor?”

Click.

Damn, just when it was starting to get interesting.