$40,000 fraudulent spend on Apple Watch

[Michael]

So, a lady drops her Hermes Apple Watch on an Epcot ride. The employees won't let them retrieve it at that moment but say it will be delivered to their hotel. It doesn't show up and there's $40,000 in spending using the watch by the time she cancelled her unlimited AMEX and other cards.

So, who's dumber--somebody who has apparently turned off the passcode on a watch that has unlimited credit card spending available or the (likely) Disney employee who takes such watch and spends $40,000 on it? They say they're going to look at video from the (Disney?) shops to see who it is.

I have this vision of a 20-something living in his mother's basement (well, likely attic since it's Florida!) and $40,000 worth of stuff shows up over the following weeks. And s/he thinks they can get away with it. Maybe...

https://popcrush.com/disney-guest-drops-...d-charges/

[gadje]

I think Apple Watch requires a passcode if you want to set it up for Apple Pay.

[gabester]

How do you "drop" a $1200 watch? I would hope the band didn't break!

[C(-)ris]

It was likely the next person on the ride who took it. I doubt a Disney employee would do it as they would most likely be caught.

[Zoidberg]

C(-)ris wrote:
It was likely the next person on the ride who took it. I doubt a Disney employee would do it as they would most likely be caught.

100%

[graylocks]

C(-)ris wrote:
It was likely the next person on the ride who took it. I doubt a Disney employee would do it as they would most likely be caught.

the article i read said the owner saw where it fell to. still doesn't explain the passcode protection failing.

[RAMd®d]

The owner was fiddling with the Hermès band while on the ride.

It fell off the ride to the ground.

The husband bailed at some point to recover the watch, and the ride was stopped.

He was told to leave, and that the Watch would be return when found.

Some of the details were a little odd, but some of that could easily be due to web loggers not being reporters or journalists.

The Watch would have to have been a cellular model to function without the 'Phone nearby.

Correct, a passcode is required for Apple Pay, and the Watch would have locked immediately after separating from her wrist.

So she probably had a really poor passcode such as 1-2-3-4, 0-0-0-0, or the ne'er do-well got lucky with some guesses.

I'm a little surprised the 'haul' got to $40,000 before she shut down her cards.

I wonder how many of them can be shut from her phone as quickly and easily as an Apple Card.

How many of her cards (she said she had a lot in the Wallet) notify her immediately of a purchase.

Users of Apple Card and Apple Pay know they get an notification of a purchase seconds after the charge.

I changed the four digit passcode when the option first became available.

Nobody will ever guess 1-2-3-3-2-1!

I am wondering if this wasn't fraud initiated by the Watch owner.

Wondering, not necessarily suspecting/accusing.

[graylocks]

RAMd®d wrote:

The Watch would have to have been a cellular model to function without the 'Phone nearby.

That statement is not true. You can use Apple Pay without the phone without cellular. Has come in handy the rare times I've run to Aldi without my phone. Now, I do have the cellular model but I turned off service 3 years ago.

A few other wonders though. Yes, was it just a piss poor passcode? however, wouldn't someone had needed to make those purchases in person? I know there's someway of using Apple Pay online but doesn't that involve knowing the apple ID?

[RAMd®d]

That statement is not true.


Ooops.

I forgot, I did that once when I left my 'Phone and wallet at home for a Micky's speed run.

There was a gulp moment as I approached the POS device and remembered that I had neither with me, but the transaction went through.

Very handy that.

Unless one drops the Watch somewhere and has a poor passcode.



I know there's someway of using Apple Pay online but doesn't that involve knowing the apple ID?


I've use Apple Pay online and got a notification on my Watch for approval, and also on my 'Phone when my Watch was on the charger.

I don't know what would happen if somebody placed an online order with one name, and tried to pay with Apple Pay.

I'd like to think somewhere along the line the name on the order would have to match the name in the Watch.

[graylocks]

RAMd®d wrote:

I know there's someway of using Apple Pay online but doesn't that involve knowing the apple ID?


I've use Apple Pay online and got a notification on my Watch for approval, and also on my 'Phone when my Watch was on the charger.

I don't know what would happen if somebody placed an online order with one name, and tried to pay with Apple Pay.

I'd like to think somewhere along the line the name on the order would have to match the name in the Watch.

yes but when you use Apple Pay online don't you have to put in information so that the site knows which Apple Pay account to use?