Gamer loses faith in Apple after account hacked, verification changed

Luke Kesler attempts to access his compromised iTunes account

Luke Kesler’s iPhone was filled with apps and a library of music until a hacker recently separated him from his purchased downloads and Apple says they have no record of the Calgary gamer.

“I woke up Monday morning, checked my email like many people do, and I had an email from Apple saying that my password had been changed,” recalls Kesler. “I had an email right after that saying that my email was changed.”

The fact the email and password attached to his Apple account, an account he opened roughly six years ago, had apparently been altered raised red flags for Kesler and he immediately visited the Apple support page looking for answers.

“I followed their procedures for lost, stolen, and forgotten passwords and that sort of thing and got directed to an error page ‘cause my email did not exist. In other words, my account did not exist.”

“I was freaking out.”

The self-described gamer says those in the video gaming community are well aware of phishing scams and he takes precautions to ensure his passwords and accounts don’t land in the wrong hands.

Kesler's phone call to Apple was transferred to a senior representative as his situation was ‘very strange’ and they could not find any record of him in the system. The senior representative attempted to verify Kesler’s identity through verification questions but all information attached to his account had been changed to Mandarin. The Apple employee translated the old security questions on file but the questions were not those Kesler had selected and the issue remains unresolved.

“(The hacker) had changed everything from this point. Nothing in my system was coming up with my email. I was just a ghost,” said Kesler. “(Apple has) froze the account, that’s a little bit of reassurance they’re giving me.”

Despite the fact Kesler has financial records confirming his iTunes purchases, Apple would not accept the bank statements or his iPhone serial number as proof he is the rightful owner of the account. Kesler says Apple is no longer returning his emails or phone calls but the company has placed a stop on iTunes purchases made with his credit card and a $78 credit remains on his account.

Kesler says replacing his lost music and apps will be a painstaking and costly ordeal.

“The phone has to be restored to factory default in order for me to use it. I’m already being locked out of apps.”

While the specifics behind the compromising of Kesler’s iTunes account have not been confirmed, Jon Hodal, a computer expert with Calgary based Tech Squad, says phishing is becoming increasingly common and the days of grammatically poor email scams are over.

“The first step is to get into your computer and then from there they can monitor whatever you do. They can get your Apple ID, your bank information, your mortgage information…whatever it is they’re looking for, once they’ve created that portal to your computer.”

“They’re getting quite sophisticated,” explains Hodal. “The link that you click on may not be obvious anymore.”

Tech Squad receives roughly 12 calls a month from customers who find themselves locked out from, or unable to access, one of their accounts.

Hodal says that while hackers are primarily financially motivated, some take great pride in their ability to access the inaccessible.

“They either want to sell you your Apple ID back to you, they want to take the product that’s in your Apple ID or, in simple cases, they just want fame to prove that they could (take your Apple ID).”

Hodal recommends people avoid clicking links within emails, even if the email appears to be sent from a company you have dealings with, and to access your account through the vendor’s official website.

Kesler remains frustrated with Apple and his lack of progress in regaining control of his iTunes account

“I’d like people to know this can happen to anyone. I’m secure with my passwords, I’m secure with my accounts,” said Kesler. “I can’t believe they’re (Apple) not willing to help”

In an email to CTV Calgary, Apple says they "have no official comment to add to your story. We are working with this customer to resolve their issue."

With files from CTV's Lea Williams-Doherty