The Amazon Impersonator scam is raking in big bucks for scammers. About one in three victims of impersonator scams report that the person who contacted them claimed to be from Amazon. It’s reported that from July 2020 to June 2021, scammers made $27 million off of this one.
Amazon impersonator scam begins with a phone call
There were plenty of old Amazon email scams, but in this new version, the scam begins with a call from someone claiming to be from Amazon. Of course, the caller doesn’t really work for Amazon, they’re just impersonating an Amazon representative. There are two different options the caller may use. According to the Federal Trade Commission, these options include telling you that you’re entitled to a refund for an unauthorized purchase or claiming someone has hacked your account. Either way, this call spells trouble.
The refund scam
The caller tells you there was an unauthorized purchase on your account. Credibility alert #1! For real? It’s hard enough to reach someone at Amazon. In what universe would Amazon actively monitor every customer’s account for unauthorized activity? And yet, people fall for this.
Tip #1: Hang up! Never discuss your accounts with an unknown caller. If you want to talk to Amazon, go to Amazon.com to find the information you need. Never call the number given to you by someone you don’t know.
In this scenario, the Amazon Impersonator says the company will issue you a refund for the purchase. To do that, they need remote access to your computer so they can issue the refund. Assuming you haven’t hung up yet, you’re probably ready to do the unthinkable.
Tip #2: Never give access to your computer or accounts to anyone else unless you know who they are.
Unfortunately, when the caller doesn’t really issue a refund, but he sends the wrong amount. In reality, the scammer has merely moved money from one of your accounts to another to make it look like you’ve received a refund. Of course, when the ‘refund’ happens, it’s too much. So the caller asks you to send back the difference. Credibility alert #2. Refunds are typically an automated process. How would an Amazon rep send the wrong amount? Okay, but let’s assume you’re just an honest person who doesn’t want to get some poor bumbling Amazon rep in trouble. (They would deserve it, but let’s let HR deal with that.)
After you send money to cover the supposed difference, not only does the money you sent becomes theirs, but they can also clean out your accounts.
The hacker scam
In the hacker version, you’re told that someone has accessed your account. You’re instructed to buy gift cards and share the PINs to safeguard the funds. Apparently, the people who fall for this scam don’t realize the PIN is your protection and that once you share it, your money is gone.
Tip #3: Never pay for anything with a gift card. If you’re asked to pay for goods or services with a gift card, it’s almost certain you’re being scammed.
Tip #4: If something suspicious happens regarding Amazon, whether it’s an email, text, or phone call, check their resource page for information on how to deal with it.
Did you see last month’s scam tip? You can find it at 4 tips to avoid the Zelle money scam. Click here to check out more of my Friday Morning Post entries, or you can follow me on Instagram.
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When we still had our landline, a scammer called and wanted my dad (who had dementia) to buy a Green Dot prepaid card at Walgreens. The scammer called several times and didn’t want to give up. He even said my dad won a car and it would be delivered to him.
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