Text Size

Apple cracks down on fraudulent iTunes cards

updated 02:40 pm EDT, Tue June 23, 2009

Apple battles fake cards

Apple is quietly combating fraudulent iTunes gift card offenders, writes the Washington Post. After using cards purchased from eBay, some shoppers are reporting that their iTunes accounts are being disabled. As a consequence, many claim that they are losing all iTunes Store purchases that are not backed up. Fake cards are typically said to be listed at $20 (for a $25 iTunes card), and originally purchased with a stolen or hacked credit card.

While Apple has been mum about the crackdown and closure of some iTunes accounts, the company's gift card policy -- buried in the iTunes terms-of-service agreement -- states that Apple "reserves the right to close customer accounts and request alternative forms of Payment if a Gift Certificate, iTunes Card, Content Code or Allowance is fraudulently obtained or used on the iTunes Store."

The company does add however that people should be contacted by Apple support if their account is going to be deactivated, with the aim of providing time to backup music files. Customers can also appeal to Apple to have their account reopened, but the Post observes that they may not have much luck.

 
Previous Comments

Hmmm.

06/23, 02:58pm reply

Couldn't they just refuse the activation codes? That is how they know the cards are in fact the offending cards, right?

I don't see a need to disable people's iTunes accounts. Like chopping people's arms off for trying to eat food they bought from someone else that stole it.

Flying Meat

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2007

+4

Not really...

06/23, 05:34pm (1 reply) reply

There's a legal term for that, Flying Meat: Theft by Receiving. Just because you aren't the one who stole it doesn't mean you aren't culpable. Especially if you know it's stolen.

Woode

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2007

+1

What if

06/23, 07:07pm reply

What if you received a stolen card as a gift and had no idea it was bad?

popheader

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2000

+1

Popular News