Unexpected emails from Apple ID? Someone pretending to be me?!?

[Pegasus]

I've received several emails, purportedly from Apple ID, stating that my password was incorrectly entered 3 times.

 

I do not have any Apple products and do not have any sort of Apple ID account (iTunes, etc.)

 

I forwarded the latest email to the official Apple phishing address asking that they delete any accounts using my personal email address because they aren't mine.

 

Is there anything else that I could/should do?

 

I'm thinking it is unrelated, but I recently received an email to my WORK email address confirming a hotel reservation that I did not make.  I have stayed at this hotel in the past.  Upon contacting them, the hotel said that a female called and made a reservation with my name and used the contract rate that my employer has with this hotel.  I notified my employer who is supposed to be following up with the hotel on this issue.

 

Still, I'm a bit on edge as it seems really weird.  I'm also keeping an eagle eye on all my financial accounts.  Nothing unusual there so far.

 

 

Edited January 17, 2016 by Pegasus

[Kim in Appalachia]

It might be related.  Someone is trying to get into your accounts, or maybe has gotten into one account and it using the info to try and find more.  I would change EVERY password that you have, keep a watch on your credit and watch your financial statements.

 

So sorry.  That really stinks.  

[Lanny]

It may be someone you know and/or work with.  Monitor all of your accounts. ALWAYS use a DIFFERENT password for every account. I use the free version of the LastPass program, which makes logging into the web sites I visit much easier. Continue to monitor all of your financial accounts carefully and GL.

[Pegasus]

Yeah, changing all my passwords is a good idea.  I do use a different, and complex, password for each financial type of account but have a couple "regulars" that I use for general internet browsing. Probably time to change all those as well.  I don't know much about things like LastPass - time to do some research!

 

The hotel situation is just really weird.  Why would someone want to stay at the same hotel that I've stayed at in the past?  How would using my name be an advantage (other than getting my employer rate)? All charges at the time I stayed were to a employer credit card and not my own (so not in my name), which is why I notified my employer.  They were going to see if the hotel would tell them what sort of credit card hold the caller had used.

 

I'd hate to think it is someone I know or work with.  That would be very disappointing. 

[Anne in CA]

Most often this sort of thing comes from someone in HR. They have the most info on you. It may not be someone you work with directly, it could be someone in HR with access to your personal information.

[Alessandra]

Sorry that you are going through this. For the Apple ID, you might want to set up an account, even though you do not use it. That makes it harder for someone to use your name to set up a fake one. As well as changing passwords on your accounts, can you change the email attached to those accounts? Preferably an email that comes from your service provider, as opposed to a generic provider like gmail.

 

ETA

I use weird passwords, strong ones. Also, I give fake answers to the security questions -- such as, I was born in xdvxdv, etc.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Alessandra

[Lanny]

If your employer is a U.S. Government Contractor, I believe that you should contact the company Security Dept. ASAP

[Pegasus]

Thanks, everyone.  Good ideas.