Apple emailed a receipt for a subscription I didn't buy, is it a scam?
Last reviewed: 2026-08-01 · Checked with Hunch’s on-device engine, the same one inside the extension. How Hunch checks →
Part of our guide: How to avoid online shopping scams →
Almost certainly. A fake "App Store receipt" that tells you to dispute the charge at apple-billing.example within 24 hours is phishing, not a real bill. Genuine Apple receipts point you to reportaproblem.apple.com and never to a look-alike domain. The unexpected charge is bait to make you "cancel" on a page that actually captures your Apple ID and card.
Got a message like this? Paste it here →
The fake receipt flips the usual pressure: instead of asking for money, it claims money already left, so the natural urge is to rush and cancel. People who do buy apps and subscriptions can't instantly recall every charge, and that doubt is exactly what makes the apple-billing.example "dispute" link feel reasonable.
Illustrative example of the pattern, not a real message someone received.
How to verify it yourself
- Don't use the email's link. Check purchases in Settings > your name > Media & Purchases, or at reportaproblem.apple.com typed yourself.
- Read the domain: Apple billing lives on apple.com, not apple-billing.example or any extra-word host.
- A real receipt shows in your purchase history; if it's not there, the email is fake.
- Never enter your Apple ID or card on a page reached from a receipt email to "cancel" a charge.
Common questions
is apple-billing.example a real Apple billing site
No. Apple handles billing on apple.com and reportaproblem.apple.com. apple-billing.example is a look-alike designed to grab your Apple ID and card.
did Apple really charge me $99.99 for a subscription
Check your actual purchase history before believing it. If the charge isn't listed in Settings or reportaproblem.apple.com, the receipt was invented to scare you into clicking.
where do I dispute a real Apple App Store charge
At reportaproblem.apple.com or from Media & Purchases in Settings, always somewhere you navigated to yourself, never a link inside a suspicious receipt.
how do I know if an Apple receipt email is fake
Fake receipts push a countdown and an off-site "cancel" link. Real ones simply list the purchase and send you to Apple's own report-a-problem page.
If you already responded
- If you entered your Apple ID or card, change the Apple ID password and call your card issuer using the number on the card.
- Confirm two-factor is on and review your list of trusted devices.
- Report the email at reportfraud.ftc.gov and mark it as phishing so the sender is flagged.
Source: FTC, How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams
Hunch is not affiliated with Apple. Apple is named only to describe a scam that impersonates it; the real Apple does not send these messages.