I won an iPod from Apple, or did I?

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Hey, I think I just tone one of the iPod minis for purchasing a song at one of the 100,000 marks. Way cool.



However, the very paranoid person in me is just a little unsure. I bought the song yesterday and did my best at purchasing it based on the count up clock on Apple's home page. So, it all make sense I won 8) I got an e-mail saying I won and they want me to sign a form with my social security number and address. It makes all good sense that when you win something that they want the information as well as my signature that I'm not associated with Apple etc etc. I just get so many scams a day in my in-box that I worry that I'm being phished.



Am I paranoid? Has anyone else won something from Apple or got a scam e-mail from itunes?
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    scarecrowscarecrow Posts: 148member
    Yeah, its a scam... send me the email, and I will make sure that it gets fixed...





    Thanks!



  • Reply 2 of 23
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    I'd be leery of giving them your Social Security Number. Why on God's earth would they need it? Running a credit check?



    I'd say call them and try to connect with someone who can verify the e-mail was from them. If it was, give your info over the phone if you're comfortable with that.
  • Reply 3 of 23
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Carson O'Genic

    Hey, I think I just tone one of the iPod minis for purchasing a song at one of the 100,000 marks. Way cool.



    However, the very paranoid person in me is just a little unsure. I bought the song yesterday and did my best at purchasing it based on the count up clock on Apple's home page. So, it all make sense I won 8) I got an e-mail saying I won and they want me to sign a form with my social security number and address. It makes all good sense that when you win something that they want the information as well as my signature that I'm not associated with Apple etc etc. I just get so many scams a day in my in-box that I worry that I'm being phished.



    Am I paranoid? Has anyone else won something from Apple or got a scam e-mail from itunes?




    Call Apple, they have your phone # with your account so they should call AND email...but if they want you to reply in E-MAIL with the info, I say no, the risk is greater than the reward...but if it is a secure (128 SSL) site on the apple.com domain...it is likely lagit, although I would still call, they shouldnt need your SSN...



    EDIT: they probably run the SSN to make sure you arent employeed by Apple/partners
  • Reply 4 of 23
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    They also need the SSN to report the winnings to the IRS for tax purposes.
  • Reply 5 of 23
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kickaha

    They also need the SSN to report the winnings to the IRS for tax purposes.



    True, but in this day and age what company in their right mind would want them in an e-mail...if I weregoing to the trouble of a contest like this, I would toss up an encrypted page and for good mesure, have the winner type a confermation ID from the email.
  • Reply 6 of 23
    skatmanskatman Posts: 609member
    They should not need your SSN.

    $250 value of the iPOD does not have to be reported to IRS. Too little.
  • Reply 7 of 23
    When me and my father won iPods at the Tiger release at the Apple store (I got a 30GB photo and he got a 6GB min) we both had to fill out forms including tax forms and our SSN.



    I would not, however, send my SSN over e-mail, even after a thorough check of the headers and 128 bit encryption I am to paranoid now adays.
  • Reply 8 of 23
    Thanks to all of you for your input!



    Update: I'm actully beleiveing I did win this thing-cool beans.



    I googled the Fax number they gave me (to fax the signed form with the SS# - not e-mail) and the only link that came up was an Apple site (off firewire.org not apple.com). The site was for promoting iTunes song giveaways for corporations, they had to fax their forms in to the same number. So I think this sounds authentic enough for me. It's either an Apple number or the scam artists own firewire.org and have a really good Apple site up on their server.



    I also e-mailed them with my color choice and work mailing address and requested some confrimation that this is legit. They replied with a phone number and person I can call to talk to. I may still do that on Monday, but I think the google results put most of my paranoid nightmares to rest.



    I really should just enjoy the moment.



    Not that I want to give the bad guys any more ideas, but if you have a few million e-mail addresses at your finger tips you can just fake an Apple e-mail and form and phish away. Your bound to hit some people that had bought some songs on iTunes and they think they win and send you there SS#, name, address, phone number and signature.
  • Reply 9 of 23
    I just ran a whois on firewire.org just to double check and it appears to have been registered by Apple by the same registrar as apple.com.



    So Congrats on your iPod

    What color did you get?
  • Reply 10 of 23
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    Congrats! Winning free stuff is always nice when it's something that doesn't suck. Hope you enjoy your new iPod.



    I recently got an SMS from cingular saying that they received my rebate form. It was a nice surprise and gave me warm fuzzies, a rare thing especially from a cell carrier.
  • Reply 11 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Mount_my_floppy

    I just ran a whois on firewire.org just to double check and it appears to have been registered by Apple by the same registrar as apple.com.



    So Congrats on your iPod

    What color did you get?




    Thanks for checking!



    I'm getting green. I already own a 10Gb model that keeps me happy and just three weeks ago I bought my wife a 6Gb mini for her birthday. So get this act of decadence: I'm going to give the new mini to my 8 year old daughter! Spoiled brat. She doesn't know it yet and we're making her work for it. She has to earn 100 points (randomly given out by her overlord parents) to get something really cool that is a surprise. She also has to learn her multiplication tables up to 12 x 12 to her Father's satisfaction. Thanks Apple for furthering my daughter's eductation!
  • Reply 12 of 23
    dhagan4755dhagan4755 Posts: 2,152member
    I just saw what the grand prize is. Wow. Sweet. But after some thought, other than the 10,000 song gift certificate, I think I would donate the rest to charity or work with Apple to donate it all to underpriveleged kids.
  • Reply 13 of 23
    murkmurk Posts: 935member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DHagan4755

    I just saw what the grand prize is. Wow. Sweet. But after some thought, other than the 10,000 song gift certificate, I think I would donate the rest to charity or work with Apple to donate it all to underpriveleged kids.



    Or you could donate to underprivileged AI members. Good luck!
  • Reply 14 of 23
    Cool deal, Carson. Green is probably what I would pick too. At the Apple store when my Dad won his iPod mini they asked him what color he wanted and some cute girl next to him said you should get blue! Now he is the proud owner of a blue iPod Mini.



    I think its pretty cool that they let you pick your color instead of just moving the slower selling models.
  • Reply 15 of 23
    fahlmanfahlman Posts: 740member
    Apple posted the winners.
  • Reply 16 of 23
    supertedsuperted Posts: 41member
    I forgot you guys have to pay tax on your winnings, that's a bit of a kick in the teeth isn't it?
  • Reply 17 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally posted by fahlman

    Apple posted the winners.



    Cool, my name up on apple.com. Off course this means that anyone on these forums who wants to know my real name can now figure it out. Guess I have to watch what i say in Political outsider a little more carefully.
  • Reply 18 of 23
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    What kind of name is that? And what awful music taste
  • Reply 19 of 23
    fahlmanfahlman Posts: 740member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Anders

    What kind of name is that? And what awful music taste



    Maybe his girlfriend likes the song. Maybe it's her button.



    I used to date a chick that when I wore Drakkar Noir and a blue shirt couldn't keep her hands off of me. This was 15 years ago when I was in high school. A kid has to do what a kids has to do.
  • Reply 20 of 23
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Anders

    What kind of name is that? And what awful music taste



    OK I was desperate to find a song to download since I saw the counter approaching a 100k mark. It is not my usual taste in music, butI'm having a weird pop music of the 80's phase. My standard fare is Marillion, Fish, Hot Tuna, various rock bands of the 70's and 80's (ok I'm getting old), and some Hawaiian bands.



    I actually don't care if you like my taste or not, I'm use to being out in left field on musical taste, but what's wrong with my name?
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