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Apple ID email scam: is that “locked account” alert real?

Editorially reviewed · Last updated September 8, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. Apple never sends account alerts from “app1e-idverify[.]info.”

Exhibit · Email

Your Apple ID has been locked — action required within 24 hours
A
Apple Support
no-reply@app1e-idverify[.]info
10:42 AM
We detected an unusual sign-in to your Apple ID from a new device. For your security, your account has been locked. Verify your identity now to restore access, or it will be permanently disabled: app1e-idverify[.]info/unlock
Verify your Apple ID
Illustrative email · not an original screenshot

Other versions you might get: A fake “your Apple ID was used to buy an app,” a receipt for a purchase you didn't make, or an iCloud-storage-full warning — all pushing you to a look-alike sign-in page.

What to do right now

  1. Don't tap the link or button, and don't call any number in it.
  2. Check your account and payment records independently. Open account.apple.com yourself and review the relevant account, subscription, order, or payment. Check your card or bank statement too. If the claim is unclear, contact Apple through official support; the message alone cannot tell you whether a charge or restriction exists.
  3. Report it. Forward to reportphishing@apple.com, then file at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
  4. Delete it and mark it as phishing.
  5. If you already entered your Apple ID and password, change your Apple ID password now from Settings, turn on two-factor authentication, and check for any devices or purchases you don't recognize.

Reduce the risk of another scam

Do not use the message’s link to check the claim. Open the real service yourself. If you paid or shared account details, start with what to do after a scam. Blocking and reporting can reduce unwanted contact, but they cannot stop every attempt or tell you how the sender found you.

● Public service · free steps first

Take the free protection steps first

A suspicious message does not tell us how someone found your details. If you shared personal information, start with the official recovery guidance. You can also freeze your credit for free.

Decide what protection you need

Start with the free controls above. Compare what a paid service would add only after deciding which problem remains.

Compare free and paid protection →

No purchase needed. How we use evidence.

Frequently asked

Does Apple ever email you to say your Apple ID is locked?
The illustration uses a look-alike Apple sign-in route. Do not follow an unexpected link or share a password, device passcode, or sign-in code with the sender. Open Apple Account settings or account.apple.com independently to check restrictions and activity. A suspicious email does not prove that your account is unlocked or safe.
How do I report a fake Apple email?
Forward it. Apple's instruction: “If you receive a suspicious email that looks like it's supposed to be from Apple, please forward it to reportphishing@apple.com.” If the same scam arrives as a text instead, Apple asks you to take a screenshot of the message and email the screenshot to the same address. Then file it with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, mark it as phishing in your mail app so the filter learns, and delete it. Don't reply, and don't tap anything in it first — not even to unsubscribe.
I clicked the link and entered my Apple ID password. What now?
Take the account back before they do. Change your Apple Account password right now from Settings on your own device — not from any link in the email — and confirm two-factor authentication is on. Check your signed-in devices and recent purchases for anything you don't recognize. If a scammer then calls or messages asking you to turn two-factor off to “secure” the account, that's the second half of the same attack: “Apple will never ask you to disable any security feature on your device or on your account.” Reused that password elsewhere? Change it there too. If you also handed over card, bank, or Social Security details, the FTC's route is IdentityTheft.gov, which gives you steps based on exactly what you lost. And if you opened an attachment, update your security software and run a scan.

Related scams

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Got a text saying your Apple ID or iCloud has been locked and you must verify within 24 hours? Apple doesn't do that. Here's the verdict and what to do.

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Apple Pay text scam: is that message real?

Got a text about an Apple Pay charge, locked account, or payment you didn't make? Here's the verdict and exactly what to do.

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Apple security alert scam: is that virus warning real?

A pop-up says your iPhone or Mac is infected and to call Apple Support now? The verdict: it's a scam. Here's what it is and exactly what to do.

Sources

  1. 01Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams— Apple
  2. 02How to Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams— Federal Trade Commission
  3. 03What To Do if You Were Scammed— consumer.ftc.gov
  4. 04How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams— consumer.ftc.gov

Pass it on

Help protect someone else

If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.