Fraudulent Apple Card charge hidden by email flood

A reddit report about a phishing scam that cost someone $159.0. Learn how to avoid falling victim.

Source: reddit | Scam Type: Phishing | Amount Lost: $159.0 | Date: April 11, 2026
Trying to figure out if I have an active 'hack' I need to worry about or if this is noise to hide a one-time event. Any info would be greatly appreciated. From 6:33 pm to 6:36 pm yesterday my email inbox received 301 messages from website signups and confirmation codes. 136 of those emails were login confirmation codes for ChatGPT. During this time I also got an alert in my Apple Wallet that someone tried charging $159 to Airbnb using my Apple Card virtual number. I declined that charge, and Apple cancelled that card number and issued a new one. Is this just a case of someone fraudulently using my Apple Card virtual number and trying to hide it in a storm of emails? Is there anything further I need to do to tighten up my security? I don't remember using my virtual card number recently, and I definitely don't use it outside of a secure payment form or tap-to-pay. So I'm at a loss as to how they could have gotten it.

🛡️ How to Protect Yourself

1

Install reputable antivirus software with email scanning

2

Always verify email senders and avoid clicking suspicious links

3

Report suspicious emails to your email provider

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