How to protect yourself from iTunes account hackers

TAMPA - “They told me I had in the range of $500 that had been posted to my account” says Laura Stevens from Boynton Beach, who discovered her iTunes account was hacked after her credit card company called.  “There was some suspicious activity on my account early in the morning, so I had them cancel my card immediately.”

Jennifer Hunsecker of Lutz says she found more than $150 in bogus iTunes charges on her credit card.  “I did not make those purchases, so it really angered me.”

It appears, according to message boards online, that since the middle of May, thieves are raiding credit cards on file with iTunes accounts from coast to coast.

One message board led us to Bonnie McMillian in Houston.  “There were fraudulent charges from iTunes on my American Express card,” according to McMillan.

Many victims say the charges are for iTunes downloads and electronic iTunes gift cards, cards some suspect wind up on the black market and sell for far less than face value.

All the victims we spoke with reported the fraud to Apple, including Hunsecker.  “They give you recommendations about contacting fraud departments and filing a police report.”

McMillian says Apple advised her to change her iTunes password, an impossible task since the hacker took over her account.  “They changed my password yes, but what really made it difficult was they changed my e-mail, the identifier on the account.”

When we asked Apple about the apparent iTunes account break-ins, a spokesperson responded in an email, "If your credit card or iTunes password is stolen and used on iTunes we recommend that you contact your financial institution and inquire about canceling the card and issuing a chargeback for any unauthorized transactions.  We also recommend that you change your iTunes account password immediately."

But Hillsborough County's Chief Consumer Protection Investigator, Kevin Jackson asks why Apple is not doing more to protect its customers.  “Clearly it is information contained with in iTunes that is creating the problem. They should be very aggressive at what is occurring and communicate that to the consumer.”

We again contacted Apple to find out what additional measures the company is taking to protect their customers, but we have yet to hear back.

Hunsecker, McMillian, and Stevens all closed their credit card accounts and filed disputes with their banks.

“It’s frustrating and I think people should be aware it is happening to them,” Hunsecker explained.

So what can you do to protect yourself?  If you are an iTunes user, Kevin Jackson suggests you purchase and use a prepaid credit card with a small balance.

An additional option is to purchase an iTunes credit card for downloads and don’t use debit cards and PayPal accounts, as it may prove impossible to get your money back.