Residents are being warned to stay vigilant following a spike in Amazon scam messages.
Amazon customers are being warned of a new text scam which sees fraudsters trying to steal bank details.
Fraudsters have been contacting customers via email, calls or texts stating there has been an issue with their membership or a change in price, the victims are then asked to provide payment or banking details.
Tech platform BettingApps have highlighted a huge spike in searches for various terms related to these scams as well as revealing what each scam entails, and how customers can be vigilant whilst shopping on Amazon.
Prime membership scams
Prime membership scams are unexpected calls, texts, or emails that refer to a costly membership. Scammers will prompt a fee or an issue with your membership and will ask you to confirm or cancel the charge.
The aim behind this scam is to convince you to provide payment or bank account information in order to reinstate a membership
Account suspension or deletion scams
Account suspension or deletion scams are when scammers will send texts, emails and phone calls stating that your account will be suspended or deleted.
These will include a prompt for you to click on a fraudulent link or verbally provide information to “verify your account”.
Customers who land on these pages or receive these phone calls are then lured to provide account information such as payment information or account login credentials.
A spokesperson for BettingApps says: “UK Google searches for ‘Amazon text scam’ have surged by 1566% over the past 24 hours.”
“Amazon will never ask you to disclose your password or verify sensitive personal information over the phone or on any website other than at Amazon.co.uk.
“Therefore, it is important that you do not click on any links or provide your information to anyone over the phone without authenticating the email or phone call- no matter how legitimate they may sound.
“If you aren’t sure about the status of your account, go directly to Amazon.co.uk or on the app to view your account details. The Message Center will display a log of communications sent from Amazon officially.
“Generally, those shopping online should always beware of phishing emails, asking you to provide personal information or click on suspicious links. Always check the sender's email address and avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.
“There is a way you can watch out for suspicious links buy hovering your mouse over the links before clicking on them to see the actual URL. Often, scammers use deceptive links to redirect you to fake websites.
“Finally, be cautious with personal information and remember that Amazon will never ask you for sensitive information like your password, or credit card details through the phone or via email.
“If anyone requests this information, it's likely it is a scam.”
Tips to keep safe:
- Trust Amazon-owned channels.
- Always go through the Amazon mobile app or website when seeking customer service, tech support, or when looking to make changes to your account.
- Be wary of false urgency
- Scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they're asking. Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now.
- Never pay over the phone
- Amazon will never ask you to provide payment information, including gift cards (or “verification cards,” as some scammers call them) for products or services over the phone.
- Verify links first
Legitimate Amazon websites contain "amazon.co.uk" or "amazon.co.uk/support."
“It is important to be aware that Amazon will never ask you to provide payment information for products or services over the phone.
“The only legitimate way you should verify your Prime Membership status or make payments is through logging into your Amazon account and performing this online.
“If you aren’t sure about a recent text, call or email, visit the Message Centre on Amazon.co.uk or on the app to review authentic emails from Amazon.”
