Apple Requires Bank Statement and Drivers License To Buy an iPad? Allan Schroeder May 14, 2013 Extras The Register in the UK is reporting that Apple requested very personal information from a customer in the form of a Driver’s License and bank statements in order to complete an online transaction. A reader who works in the IT industry ordered an iPad online from the Apple Store received an unusual email. The message requested information that holds dear to our hearts and is on the list of things we are told to never give out over the Internet. It asked for a copy of government issued photo identification and a bank statement with current address. Here is an excerpt from the email: We perform security checks on our customers’ credit card orders due to the fact that the cardholder is not present to sign for transactions. The Apple Online Store’s Terms and Conditions state that Apple reserves the right to verify the identity of the genuine credit card holder by requesting appropriate documentation. Please note these checks are a security measure designed to protect your information… …Please scan a copy or take a photo of the following documentation in jpeg format and email it to eurofinance@euro.apple.com: 1. Card holders Drivers license or National Identity Card or Passport and 2. Recent Credit Card / Bank Statement showing card holder name, address and card number. After handing over the documents to Apple, the reader immediately phoned the police and bank, both of which informed her she had been the victim of phishing and that they had never heard of a company asking for such information. Apple eventually wrote back, confirming the identification and thanking her for her cooperation. It turns out Apple routinely asks for copies of customers’ driving licence, passport and bank statements. The ability to do this is written into Apple’s terms and conditions. I don’t know where Apple gets the nerve to think they can do this, but if I ever received such a request from Apple, they would get a stop order immediately. They do not require that information to verify a transaction as there is a plethora of ways to determine if an online buyer is genuine using services such as Verified by Visa. Source: The Register Share This With The World!
