Fraudulent Charges. Can I freeze the account?

[120inna55]

On Feb 23, there were 2 fraudulent charges made to iTunes.  I opened the case.  As of the today, the cases are still listed as "open" and PP is awaiting a response from the vendor.  I understand this may take up to 7 days.  Meanwhile, the money has been removed from my bank account.

Overnight, on the 25th (today), there were 5 more fraudulent charges made to iTunes. 4 of which were $25 each and 1 for $15.  I reported the charges this morning.  That will be an additional $115 that will be coming out of my bank account until PP resolves it.

I changed my password and other security details each time as prompted by PayPal.

My concern is that these fraudulent charges will keep happening.  I can fully access my PayPal account.  Is there not a way to put a freeze on it?

I don't want to remove my bank and credit cards from PayPal, because it's a hassle to add them back (particularly with the bank verification).

[sharpiemarker]

There is no "freeze" the account button from our end unfortunately.  Check for any malware in your devices and keep reporting the fraudulent charges should they occur.  You may have no choice but to contact your bank and get new account number assigned since it could be compromised.

[120inna55]

Thanks for the feedback.  I don't know, I guess when I reported the initial fraudulent activity on the 23rd that there would be a quicker resolution.  I know I should technically allow 7 days.  The resolution center still has those initial charges listed as "awaiting other party's response".  And the subsequent 5 charges have the same status.  Additionally, with those initial 2 charges, I received a message from PayPal regarding the suspicious activity, so that told me the charges were already suspicious and thus PayPal would move more quickly in getting my money back.  Now, as earlier stated, there were 5 more charges early this morning/last night.  All but one of these 7 charges were in the amount of $25.  One was for $15 (the last one).  And all were made to iTunes.  Interestingly, all of these transactions are listed as "Preapproved Payment".  I notice this difference because payments that I legitimately make are either denoted as "Payment" or "Money Sent". 

Also, 2 days ago, immediately after changing my password as prompted by PayPal's fraud center, I received a text presumably from PayPal.  It did not contain a link, but rather it just stated it suspected a fraudulent charge for $25 to iTunes.  It asked me to  reply "yes" or "no" as to whether the charge was made by me.  Since I wasn't asked to go to a link or do anything other than answer the question, I'd assumed this was legitimately from PayPal.

[sharpiemarker]

Check your iTunes account.  Maybe someone accessed your iTunes acct in your household? Or it was your iTunes account was hacked, not PayPal.

[120inna55]

I checked the iTunes account.  I haven't used it in a long time.  No charges to my iTunes account, nor any difficulty logging on to iTunes.  I had checked that just in case.  Thanks.

Also, when I drill into the fraudulent transactions on PayPal's site.  Within the transaction there is the following:

" Note to iTunes Store: MKxxxxxxxY: Gift "

There are similar comments in each of the fraudulent transactions. (I censored it, in case it's sensitive.) The only thing different is the string of characters preceding "Gift".

[120inna55]

7 more charges over night again.  These are happening between 2 and 3 am.  Same charges ($25, iTunes, preapproved, gift, etc.) I reported all of them.  I now have 14 fraudulent charges sitting in the Resolution Center "Awaiting Other Party's Response".

I have not only changed my security details yet again, but I've also now implemented the feature that requires enter the one-time code that I receive via text each time I log on.  One-touch is also disabled (by default).  

I don't know what else to do.  No other charges are suspicious and they are all iTunes "preapproved payment". All for $25 except for 1 that was $15.

Only the first 2 have been deducted from my bank (as far as I can tell from online banking site).  I will call my bank tomorrow, but I wish PayPal could recognize something is happening and stop it.  I fear all these charges, now totalling $340.

[DPCreations]

Did you phone iTune store for help.  It seems like that is were the problem originates.

[sharpiemarker]

And delete or disable your iTunes account.  Cancel the iTunes billing agreement in your PayPal Preapproved payments settings too.

[120inna55]

I did delete the iTunes payment agreement just this morning.  I also canceled any pre-approved payments, of which iTunes and iTunes store were both listed, but neither of them showed activity since December 2016 (I'm confident that wasn't me.)  I did log onto my OWN iTunes account and there have been no purchases for 18 months and the only payment source I had set-up with iTunes was a credit card that expired in 2012.  My OWN iTunes account has no link to PayPal.

I'm wondering if the pre-approved payment (s) for iTunes were done by the unauthorized party and only now has it been exploited.  Since I've canceled it and changed all the securities, I'm hoping the unautorized pre-approved payments will stop.

Now, I hope I can get PayPal to reverse the fraudulent charges.

I guess my next plan of action will be to call PayPal and my bank during business hours in the morning.  I think I will call my bank first and ask that they decline any further charges from PayPal (for now) if that's possible.  I don't know what to tell PayPal beyond what's already in the "Resolution Center" (14 unauthorized charges claims).

Anything I need to modify about that plan?

[sharpiemarker]

Sounds like a plan.  Perhaps ask your bank if they should issue you a new bank account number and move your funds there.