If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be with Amazon customer support warning you of suspicious activity on your account, watch out. If you are not careful, you could fall victim to a scam. This is how the scam is carried out.
The consumer gets a call or message from someone claiming to be with Amazon customer service stating that suspicious activity has been noted on their Amazon account.
The scammer sometimes leaves a message with a fake phone number. When the consumer responds, the scammer convinces them to log on to their computer, telling the consumer to go to unusual sites, enter codes or other information, make odd purchases, and in some cases, allow the scammer to gain control of their computer. Once in, the scammer can now access bank accounts, password, and other sensitive information, as well as install malware.
If you get an unusual call from Amazon or another business alerting you of a potential security breach, use caution when providing any information. Do not trust a phone number provided in a message. When in doubt, log into your amazon account and contact customer service via a site that you know is legitimate. Also use caution when searching online for a phone number for Amazon or other companies. Scammers are good at posting fake numbers online as well.
If you fear that you have fallen victim to this scam, take immediate action to secure your information by changing passwords on accounts, computers and routers and using 2-step authentication. Notify your bank, credit bureaus and others about the issue and take steps to secure things further such as having fraud alerts placed on your accounts. You can also contact our TMJ4 Call 4 Action office to receive a free copy of our identity theft brochure. This brochure provides good information about protecting your identity and what to do if you believe that you have fallen victim to identity theft.
