Here are some tips to determine whether a text message or call is from Amazon, and how to report it if not.
Shopped on amazon recently? You're not alone - Scammers are well aware of our tendency to shop frequently on this popular website and have devised schemes to trick us Amazon shoppers into giving away our credit card information!
According to Channel 4 News, individuals have reported receiving multiple text messages that appear to come from Amazon with purchase or shipping confirmation of an item, which they have not actually bought, along with a number to call to “cancel and get a refund”.
One woman shared the messages that she had received:
“Shipped: Your card charged $552.67 for SONY Alpha SLT-A55 DSLR Camera.” It then lists what appears to be an order number from Amazon and it gives a phone number to call to cancel the order and get a refund.
The next day, the same woman received a similar text message from what looks like Amazon. Only this time, it said:
“Alert! Your card has been charged with $763.00 on AMZ for order id #MFHG38Z Dyson Tower TP03 Air Purifier.” And then another number is given to call if the order is wrong.
Tom Stephens, president of the Better Business Bureau says, “this is a scam that started circulating about a year ago. The scammers are after your credit card number and you should not call the number listed in the text. The scammers can be very convincing and are good at tricking people into answering questions that can give the bad guys personal information” (Stephens, 2022).
3 Signs of Fake Amazon Text Messages:
Scam texts often say that there's a problem with your account that requires urgent attention.
They state you have ordered something you haven't or that you’re owed a refund.
They ask you for private and sensitive information like login information (account emails and passwords).
Amazon’s Guidelines: How to Know If an SMS is Really From Them?
Amazon has released a statement on these fake messages and clarified that legitimate messages from Amazon will never ask for your password or personal information by text.
If a text appears to be suspicious, don’t click on any links and don’t call any numbers included in the message.
While some departments at Amazon make outbound calls to customers, “we never ask customers to disclose or verify their Amazon password, credit card, or banking account number” (Amazon, 2022)
If you receive a phone call asking you to disclose the above information, you can go to www.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us/report-phishing.html to report the phone call.
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