Amazon users issued with urgent warning after scammers steal £86,000 from customers
Amazon shoppers have been hit with an urgent warning over an emerging trend involving scammers pretending to be from the site and revealed how to spot it.
Criminals are impersonating Amazon and are said to be contacting unsuspecting customers to falsely claim suspicious activity has occurred on their account.
Over a nine day period this month, between 5-14 October, police revealed how £86,837 was then stolen from victims, a daily average of over £9,600.
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The trend has led to an urgent warning by Report Fraud, the national cyber crime and fraud reporting service, telling customers about the impersonations and how to avoid them.
Analysis of Report Fraud data found that the victims were contacted by the criminal claiming to be from Amazon who goes on to inform them of alleged suspicious activity on their Amazon account.
The criminals then claim that unauthorised items have been added to the victim’s Amazon basket.
To make the fraud appear genuine, they provide delivery addresses that do not belong to the victim and claim that someone is attempting to purchase the items using the victim’s bank details.
The criminal then tells the victim that the transactions can be stopped and their account secured, but only if they follow specific instructions.
Victims have accounts hacked without their knowledge
This incudes sharing their screen through messaging platforms, downloading money transfer apps and providing legitimate documents such as passports and drivers licences used to facilitate fraud.
Victims are also persuaded to download remote access software, allowing them to take control of devices to carry out transactions without their knowledge.
Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf, Head of Report Fraud Operations, said: “Fraudsters are increasingly successful when they can make their approach feel ordinary.
"A call about an account issue, a delivery problem or suspicious activity can catch any of us off guard, particularly when it appears to come from a brand we know and trust.
“The best defence is to pause. Criminals want people to react quickly; we want people to take a moment, challenge what they're being told and verify it through a trusted route.
“Whether somebody claims to be from Amazon, your bank, the police or any other organisation, don't feel pressured into acting immediately.
"End the conversation, find the genuine contact details yourself and make contact independently."
Amazon responds to claims
Meanwhile, an Amazon spokesperson explained that they also encourage people to report potential Amazon scams to them.
“Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk and there are a variety of scams that ask people to make payments by email, phone, or text for items or services," a spokesperson said.
"Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now - scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they're asking, and they use convincing tactics to reel consumers in.
"We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep them safe.”
If you believe you are a victim of fraud, you should tell Report Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you live in Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101.
Calls can be reported by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘Call’ followed by the scam caller’s number.
James Holt