Scammers consistently pose as brands or companies that you know, trust, and have relationships with so that you are more willing to communicate and interact when your guard is down. By posing as these legitimate companies, fraudsters prey on the fact that you’ll be more likely to respond or provide information that you wouldn’t otherwise. Lately, Amazon has been targeted as a favorite to impersonate by fraudsters due to its widespread popularity amongst consumers.
How do they start?
Have you received an email, phone call, or text message from a supposed ‘Amazon’ agent? These notifications advise you that your Amazon account has been hacked or mention concern for suspicious activity or recent fraudulent orders placed on your Amazon account. Scammers will do (and say!) just about anything to trick you into believing them.
Other common tactics for this type of scam involve sending the following notifications:
- Holds on your Amazon Prime account
- Unauthorized orders for large (or small) dollar amounts
- Lost packages
- Confirmation of your Amazon account
- Fake order invoices
For phone calls where you do not know who is calling, proceed with caution or do not pick up and let the call go through to voicemail. Be aware that scammers will leave phony voicemails convincing you to call them back. For additional tips on how to spot a Phone Scam, check out the following article: Phone Scams
How to Avoid Amazon Scams
- Never call a phone number provided to you over the phone. Hang up, and only contact Amazon through information listed on their legitimate website. Amazon will also have help or chat features (as well as their contact information) directly on their website or once you have successfully logged into your account.
- Never give remote access to your computer or device. If the caller tells you to download a screen sharing application or to provide remote access, stop and hang up. Amazon will never ask for remote access into your computer.
- If you receive a phone call from whom you believe to be Amazon, know that Amazon will never call your bank directly or advise that they will transfer the phone call to your bank directly. Scammers will ask for the phone numbers on the back of your credit or debit cards so that they can spoof the number of the bank to appear more legitimate. If you are concerned for your accounts, please contact us through our main phone number, 202-212-6400 or send us a Secure Message though Digital Banking.
- If you are concerned about an email you’ve received about a supposed ‘order’, login to your Amazon account directly, review the ‘My Orders’ section. If there is nothing of concern, this email is a scam.
- If the caller tells you to purchase gift cards (even Amazon gift cards!), send a wire transfer, purchase Cryptocurrency or to send a Zelle or Venmo (P2P) transfer, STOP, it is a scam.
If you are concerned for your Amazon account or whether a phone call or email you receive is legitimate, login to the Amazon application or website directly for further information. Amazon provides the following information regarding scams directly from their website: