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Consumers spend billions of dollars on Amazon every year, and as the biggest online marketplace in the world, that number continues to increase. However, as more people shop on Amazon, more hackers, con artists, scammers and fraudsters are targeting the platform. There are many types of Amazon scams and they can come in many forms, such as emails, text messages, social media posts, phone calls and browser pop-ups, and much of the time, they look official. Fortunately, there are ways to recognize Amazon scams and, if you can recognize them, you can avoid them. Here are some of the most common Amazon scams to look out for and how to avoid them.
To avoid Amazon scams, remember to never click a link in an email, text message or social media message and never call a phone number provided by any of these mediums. If you receive a phone call, hang up giving no information. Always login to your Amazon account by going to the website. If Amazon needs to contact you for any reason, they will probably do it through your account.
Phishing and Smishing Scams
These are scams that come through your email inbox. They can be worded a little differently, but they will look like they come from Amazon and contain a phone number, link or attachment. These messages will steal your financial and personal information. Do not provide information, delete the message, hang up the phone and contact Amazon directly.
Tech Support Scams
Tech support scams usually involve someone posing as an Amazon support representative. They will usually try to get you to give them remote access to your computer or send them your Amazon login info. Hang up the phone and contact Amazon directly.
Off-platform Payment Scams
With this type of scam, the goal is to get you to send a payment outside of Amazon. The scammer will create fake listings and then when you purchase something, they’ll message you and request an outside payment on a platform like Zelle, PayPal, Venmo or an outside website. If this happens to you, do not make the payment, as it won’t be protected by Amazon’s guarantee. Instead, report the seller to Amazon.
Unauthorized Purchase Scam
You get a phone call or email about an expensive purchase made on your account that you know nothing about. An email will include a fake Amazon link or a phone number. When you click the link or call the number, or if the scam comes in via a phone call, a scammer will claim to be an Amazon rep who needs your credit card details to stop the purchase. Delete the email or hang up the phone and contact Amazon directly.
Fraudulent Sellers
Scammers often create Amazon accounts to give the impression they are legitimate sellers. They create product listings, usually with fantastic deals, to entice people into making a purchase. Some listings might even have fake reviews. However, if you try to buy from a scammer’s account, they’ll either send you a counterfeit product that’s of a much lower quality or not send you anything at all. If the discount seems too good to be true or the reviews seem overly generic, it might be a scam. Trust your gut.
Fake Prize Notifications
Who doesn’t love winning a prize? I know I do. But scammers can use fake prize notifications to steal your information. These scams can come in a few different forms. It could say you’ve won a prize and just have to click a link to redeem it. You may get a notification that you’ll win a prize for completing a quick survey. Or, you could get a notification that says you’ve won a prize and just need to pay for shipping. It’s best to just delete these notifications and definitely don’t click any links.
Amazon Job Scams
A scammer will contact you claiming they are an Amazon recruiter and offer you a fantastic work-from-home job if you give them your financial and personal information. If you want to work with or for Amazon, there’s a Make Money With Us section at the bottom of every page.
Mystery Box Scams
With this one, a scammer will list mystery boxes claiming that they contain things well over the price of the box. However, if you purchase a mystery box you’ll likely end up with nothing at all or items that are worth much less than you spent. Use your judgment, and if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Amazon Prime Video Scam
Believe it or not, there are fake versions of Amazon’s Prime Video platform and sometimes these fakes can rank highly on Google by using tech-related search terms. Then, if you click on one of these fake platforms, the scammer will have access to your login information. Remember to always login to your Prime Video account by going to the Amazon link and not a link from Google.
Write a Review Scam
Scammers will send you an email offering to pay you for a review, with a convenient link in the email. When you click the link, you could give up your personal information or unintentionally install malware on your device. To avoid this scam, don’t write a review for anything you haven’t purchased.
Gift Card Scam
With this scam, a criminal will get you to buy an Amazon gift card and then send them the information. They usually impersonate a friend, family member, fake charity or colleague and convince you to give them the gift card info to help them make a purchase, a donation or to resolve an issue with your account. You shouldn’t buy Amazon gift cards for someone else unless you’re giving them a gift.
Suspicious Activity on Your Account
You’ll get a message, email or phone call claiming your account has been locked because of suspicious activity. Then you’ll be asked to click a link to unlock your account. Hang up the phone, delete the message and login to your Amazon account directly.
Refund Scam
Someone will contact you, claiming to be from Amazon, and telling you that you are owed a refund. Then you’ll either be asked to click a link or provide access to your computer. From there, the scammer can steal your information. Never click the link or call the number. Login to your account using the official website and check for messages there.
Porch Pirate Scams
A porch pirate is someone who steals packages from outside people’s homes. Of course, the best way to avoid this is to bring packages in as soon as they arrive. There’s also a porch pirate scam where a scammer will access your Amazon account, order items and have them shipped to your home and then intercept them. If you get a notification that an order has been placed that you didn’t make, login directly to your Amazon account, cancel the order and contact Amazon right away.
Brushing Scam
Some sellers sell poor quality items and need to improve their listings by getting more reviews. So, they create a fake order in your name and send you the product. Then, they write a 5 star review in your name. This scam may seem harmless. You get free stuff, and who doesn’t love free stuff? But, remember if a scammer can do this, it’s because they have your information, your name, your address, and many times, your Amazon account.
The 41 Biggest Wastes of Money
If you’re looking for ways to earn more money to put toward your goals, start by examining your spending habits. By tracking your spending and seeing where every dollar goes, you’ll likely find several instances of spending money you don’t have to. It could be little things that add up or recurring monthly expenses that are an utter waste of money.
Once you eliminate your bad spending habits, that money can go toward your emergency fund, paying off debt, or other essential things. Here are the 41 biggest wastes of money to look out for.
- Read More: The 41 Biggest Wastes of Money
