Calls from Apple?

For the last few days there have been multiple calls here(five already today) with recorded messages about a technical problem with Apple I-Cloud accounts.  The phone display identifies the call as coming from Apple.  The repeated calls were a tip-off that all was not right.  Still, I wanted to see what was up.

Staying on the line and listening to the entire recorded message with phone number given to call, at the end there was the option to press 1 and stay in the line for technical support.  That did connect to a human being, one with a strong accent amid background noise that would indicate was a call center.  The accent sounded African, definitely not Indian or Spanish, but who knows.  It could have been an American with a background from elsewhere.  For whatever reason, it was not reassuring.

When I asked if this was really Apple, she did not answer at first, then said that there has been a technical problem with my Apple account.  She asked if I had access to a laptop and could login.  At that point it was just way too fishy.

I made a comment to that effect and hung up.  Then the number that showed up on the phone display with an Apple reference was noted.  Calling, it was the number of an Apple Store in Queens, and they had a recording saying, not exact words, that the phone number had been hijacked and was being used to call customers about a fictitious problem.  This real Apple recording said not to interact with that caller, and notify your service provider or the FBI.  No, think I'll just continue the day.

So for all to know, hoping you are not being harassed as well, that these calls are "fake".  Somehow I feel allergic to that word these days.