On online markets, con artists are all too common, and Amazon is no exception. And one fraud, in particular, the Amazon unlawful purchase scam, is suddenly getting alarmingly widespread. The potential victim is informed that a costly item has been purchased using their Amazon account via a phishing email or scam call from “Amazon.”
They need to call a specific number or click a link to get in touch with “customer support” to avoid getting charged for this purported transaction. Of course, these are con artists posing as Amazon employees who will persuade the consumer to reveal their account information and other personal information. Once this information is given, the con artists can use the user’s account or credit card to make fraudulent purchases.
How To Identify Amazon Unauthorized Purchase Scams?
It’s not always simple to distinguish between legitimate scams due to fraud’s ongoing evolution and increasing sophistication over time. However, as a general guideline, keep an eye out for the following:
1. Fraudulent Emails
Check the email address of the sender
Always examine the email address carefully and identify if it is attempting to copy the brand’s format or if it is genuinely from the company it claims to be. Look for typing mistakes and odd combinations of letters and numbers. If that’s the case, it’s possibly a fake.
Look over its contents
Examine every detail in the email, including the subject line and photos. Strange logos and grammatical or spelling errors, particularly related to your name, account username, or the service in question, are dead giveaways. While at it, avoid clicking any links or opening any attachments because they can be infected with malware or lead to phony websites that will steal your login information when you try to log in.
2. Fraudulent Phone Calls
Check the number twice
You should exercise caution if the number differs from the service’s official customer service number (Amazon’s is 1-888-280-4331). This is especially true if there is a country code before the number, as scammers are most prone to use those.
Be cautious while providing any information
Never give out extremely private information to customer service over the phone, including your social security number, bank account information, credit card numbers, and passwords. It’s reasonable to assume that you’re dealing with a legitimate fraudster if you’ve ever been requested to download or install anything on your device. Doing so leaves you open to hacking and data theft. You should be extremely vigilant if you receive questions; always err on caution.
3. False Awards, Incentives, Or Gifts
Similar to the other email hoaxes on this list, this one may claim you’ve won money, qualified for a prize, or even have amassed too many Amazon points that are about to expire. The objective is to get you to click a phony “redemption” link and enter your account information.
Purchase Gift Cards For Significant Others
Have you ever received a desperate request for Amazon gift cards from an unknown phone number or email address purporting to be your boss or a family member? You guessed it; that is a con. Fortunately, it’s relatively simple to confirm this: To make sure they sent that through, just get in touch with your real boss or relative.
4. Suspicious Behaviour Identified
This email scam, intended to make you feel rushed, claims that there has been “strange activity” on your account and that it might even be blocked. The email states that to “retrieve” or “verify” your account, you must click on an embedded link and enter your Amazon login information, which thieves naturally steal immediately.
5. False Tech Support Claims
Unwitting consumers may receive calls or emails from scammers posing as Amazon tech support, informing them that their accounts are having problems or may have been compromised. The user can be convinced to divulge their information or let malicious third-party software be installed on their device to save their account.
6. Delivery Failure
This scam differs a little since it explicitly targets Amazon retailers. The con artist will place an order to obtain a refund and then say they never received the product. Fortunately, this is no longer a significant problem because most merchants use track-and-trace postage.
7. “Complementary” Payment Techniques
On the other hand, this scheme tries to trick Amazon customers into paying through a different channel. The con artists may make an effort to make the trade more appealing by providing discounts and other rewards. Still, after the sale is finalized, they will completely vanish, leaving the customer without their purchase and money. And since the transaction occurred outside their network, Amazon cannot assist in these situations.
8. General Safety Tips
- Consult the source directly if you’re unsure.
- Check your purchase history by logging into your account on the Amazon website.
- Contact customer service there and discuss if there is any issue with your orders or account.
Bonus Tip: Use Systweak VPN To Protect Your Online Activities And Mask Your Identity
A VPN application is the simplest way to protect oneself from harmful attacks. VPNs construct an encrypted tunnel between you and the VPN server where they route your communication. All of the data you send and receive online is hidden from prying eyes via a VPN connection.
It is more difficult for other parties to identify you when you use a VPN since your IP address is concealed and your traffic is mingled with other users’ traffic. Even if a hacker intercepts your traffic, they won’t be able to read or use it because only the VPN server can decode the data transferred through the encrypted VPN tunnel.
Access to more than 4500 servers spread over 200 cities and 53 countries is available to Systweak VPN users. You may conceal your IP address and location in 200 places spread across 53 distinct nations. Considering the benefits listed below, you can see why Systweak VPN is the ideal option.
- You may now view all geographically restricted information in one place while traveling. Connecting to the country’s server is required to see the material.
- Systweak VPN offers military-grade AES 256-bit encryption to protect your privacy. The data is already available to hackers, who can examine it.
- Your internet connection will be immediately terminated if the VPN server experiences a problem, guaranteeing that none of your data is ever exposed.
- Don’t worry if your IP address or location is discovered. Select one of the secure Tunnel servers to change your IP address.
The Final Word On How To Identify Amazon Unauthorized Purchase Scams
I hope you can identify Amazon’s unauthorized purchase scams and protect your identity, account, and hard-earned money from falling into the wrong hands. Use a VPN to mask your online activities and stay protected at all times.
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