Episode 33 — Alexandria: Apple Support Impersonation (Summer/Fall 2024)

SLII: Surveillance, Life Invasion, Interference

Excerpt (bullets)

• Visited Apple Store for phone problems—told to call technical support, no appointments available.
• surveillance agent offered no ideas or solutions, only commiserated.
• Bought new iPhone 16 Pro in October.
• Day before leaving country, phone wouldn't complete new account process.
• Called Apple support—requested serial number to complete process.
• Several Apple staff since said serial numbers not needed to open new account.
• In Vietnam, spoke to same person about iPhone questions—realized same person from before; immediately hung up, I discontinued use of the phone due to concerns about its security.
• Apple staff stated should never talk to same person more than twice.

Full Narrative

In summer/fall 2024, I visited an Apple Store due to the problems I was experiencing with my phone. Staff told me to call technical support as they had no appointments available that day. I did. The surveillance agent I spoke to offered no ideas nor solutions. She only commiserated with me. I bought a new iPhone 16 Pro in October. The day before I left the country I decided to set up the phone. My phone would not allow me to complete the new account process. I called Apple support where they requested the phone's serial number to complete the process. Several Apple staff I conferred with since then told me that serial numbers are not needed to open a new account. In Vietnam, I spoke to that same person about some iPhone questions where I realized she was the very same person I spoke to before and immediately hung up. I discontinued use of the phone due to concerns about its security. Apple staff stated that I should never talk to the same person more than twice. I had been routed repeatedly to an impostor posing as Apple support.

Category Codes

• DIG.SPOOF (Repeated impostor Apple representative)
• DIG.PHN (Phone compromise through fake support)