Beware of fake Amazon calls and emails
Amazon has issued a warning about dodgy calls and emails targeting shoppers.
The online retailer says the most common scams currently circulating refer to Amazon Prime memberships, including messages claiming the recipient's membership has expired.
Read on to find out about the latest Amazon impersonation scams and how to spot them.
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Amazon scam emails
One common Amazon email scam claims you’ve won a Stanley tool set and asks you to complete a survey in order to receive this prize.
The link in the email leads to a dodgy phishing website which asks for your personal and payment information.
Bizarrely, one version of this email sends recipients to a phishing website impersonating Tesco, where you’re asked for your personal information with the promise of receiving a £100 Tesco gift card.
As we mentioned earlier, Amazon Prime membership scams are also rife.
In one example, the recipient is informed their membership has expired, but that they can extend it for 90 days for £3 under Amazon's 'loyalty program'.
Again, the links in these emails lead to phishing websites.
- Find out more: how to spot an email scam
Dodgy callers impersonating Amazon
A series of Amazon scam calls are also circulating.
Social media users have reported receiving calls informing them of unauthorised charges or purchases on their Amazon account.
Another version of this scam involves a caller claiming someone has tried to purchase an iPhone using the recipient's account. The caller then asks the victim to provide information to 'verify' their account.
Finally, we've also had reports of pre-recorded messages informing potential victims that Amazon has taken a payment from their account.
If the recipient stays on the line, they'll be put through to a scammer who will attempt to get their personal and financial information.
- Find out more: how phone scams work
Avoiding and reporting Amazon impersonation scams
Amazon says customers can visit the Message Centre on its website or app to see what authentic emails from Amazon look like.
You can verify your Prime membership status, authorise payments or make changes to your billing and account information by logging into your Amazon account.
You can also report Amazon impersonation scams on the retailer's website.
Scam calls received on a mobile can be reported to the network by texting the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726 on an iPhone.
On an Android, text the word ‘call’ to 7726. You’ll then receive a message asking you for the scam number.
You can report scam emails by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you fall victim to a scam, call your bank immediately using the number on the back of your bank card and report it to Action Fraud, or call the police on 101 if you’re in Scotland.
