BEWARE OF A NEW AMAZON TELEPHONE SCAM

Amazon confirms that they "never call people. They only contact you via email.”

Wayne – Is there anyone who doesn’t have an Amazon account? That’s what makes this latest phishing scam so serious.

 

The scam begins with a phone call saying that someone has charged a large dollar amount on your Amazon account and asking you to verify your account number and authorize the purchase. If you don’t answer the call, a voicemail message is left stating the same request.

 

One verified area resident received 2 of these calls on Monday. Another first hand account tells us that their employer was actually expecting a large Amazon purchase and responded to the phone call request by providing bank account verification. By the time he realized it might have been a scam, $3,500.00 had been removed from his business checking account.

 

Amazon says – “We take fraud, scam,phishing and spoofing attempts seriously. If you receive correspondence you think may not be from Amazon, please report it immediately”. Amazon customers across the country have reported receiving calls from people who claim to work for Amazon and are asking for confirmation of a recent transaction. And the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning that this is a scam.

 

Amazon confirms that they “never call people. They only contact you via email.” Another tell-tale sign that might provide a clue is: when you call Amazon, you do not hear the call center in the background. Those suspecting a scam sometimes say they “hear a call center in the background from the unsolicited caller.”

 

ADVICE FROM THE FTC

If the consumer falls for the ploy and connects with the scammers, an “agent” may ask for a credit card number associated with their account. The FTC says consumers should be aware that this is a scam designed to dupe users into giving out valuable personal information.

If you aren’t sure whether you’re dealing with a scammer, the FTC says you can ask the caller to read off your Amazon account number. Chances are they’ll have no idea.

 

Suspicious Phone Calls or Text Messages

Report any suspicious phone call or text message to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

To report a phone call or text message visit ftc.gov/complaint and follow the onscreen assistant.

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