What are Amazon Scam Calls?

Amazon is the world's biggest internet retailer in terms of revenues. It offers a range of products from electronics, clothing, food, and more at competitive prices and easy returns. Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos has also been recognized as one of the world's wealthiest people for the past few years.

This popularity is what makes Amazon a target for phone scammers. It has a lot of common complaints and customer service issues. One of which is the Amazon Phone scam, which is becoming an increasingly popular way of stealing people's money. Not only are these types of phone scams popular, but the ease of how it is done makes it even more dangerous because you can do it from your home computer.

Amazon scam calls have become a common occurrence over the past few years. This increase is partly due to the popularity of prepaid phone cards, which scammers sell to try and steal people's money. People usually fall for the scam after seeing that they can buy prepaid phone cards on Amazon for a reduced price. Like any legitimate business, these scammers will use their logos and branding to try and reel in unsuspecting customers. But be aware: they're not selling what they're advertising.

As a corporation, Amazon is frequently targeted by hackers who exploit consumers by impersonating their business and taking their customers' money. Scams are typically started by phishing tactics or putting your personal information into bogus websites, emails, or phone lines.

Amazon takes consumer and company operations security extremely seriously. The firm regularly evaluates its customer care methods and collaborates with the most trustworthy payment companies on the Internet. As part of those safeguards, the firm has teamed with payment providers to provide alternatives for securely communicating information to avoid fraud and created an Amazon fraud department.

Amazon's community website also updates its postings regarding phone scams to keep people aware of the various methods employed by con artists. If you receive a call and suspect the caller is a scammer, hang up immediately and notify the appropriate authorities.

What are Amazon Scam Calls?

Impersonators posing as Amazon have been harassing US customers with up to 150 million robocalls each month. To put the statistics into context, Americans currently get an estimated 4.5 billion to 5 billion robocalls every month. Amazon impersonators play on people's confidence in the Amazon brand.

Perhaps you've received one of those annoying phone calls. An alert claims that there has been a suspicious charge on your account - say, $899 - and advises you on what measures to take next. These steps are almost always fraught with peril, so it's better to hang up. Contact the megaretailer if you are worried.

Amazon has received tens of thousands of calls from worried consumers who have been targets of Amazon phone scams. It's easy to see why scammers like phoning your phone number. According to the FTC, the typical loss from a successful phone scam in 2020 was $1,170, more than four times the average loss from all types of fraud combined. And technology has simplified this unlawful behavior. Unscrupulous operators can use auto-dialers to make millions of robocalls for a few dollars per day. Spoofing software can cause your caller ID to display a real government or company number or one that seems local to increase the probability that you would answer. Popular scams reported by Amazon users include:

Phishing Scams

The most common phone scam is called "phishing." Phishing scams are when a scammer calls a customer pretending to be an Amazon representative. The scammer usually says something like, "Your password was not valid, and we need you to reset it online," or "Your account has been locked due to suspicious activity, and you need to verify your identity."

The purpose of the scam is for the customer to give some form of personal information, either their credit card details or their social security number. In most cases, the scammer will then charge the customer for protection services, such as "recovery services" or "security services."

Identity Theft Scams

When you purchase goods online, you are vulnerable to identity theft. Amazon, like many companies, has a few ways that they choose to protect customers from identity theft. Suppose you've ever made an online purchase in the past. In that case, Amazon has likely asked you for some personal information like your name, birth date, mailing address, and zip code. This information is used for several reasons:

• Your name and email address are used to confirm your account and provide customer support
• Your date of birth is used to determine if the age restriction has been met; it helps confirm your account.
• Your address and zip code is used for billing purposes. Though this is Amazon's standard policy, the company may be vulnerable to scammers who can exploit these policies for their benefit. For example, in an Amazon Phone Scam, some personal information is requested over the phone. It is promised that they will not use it for anything other than verifying your identity or address to complete your purchase.

Customer Service Scams

This occurs when the fraudsters already have some information from the target. This scam may happen after the target has publicly complained about a problem with Amazon. The fraud might also happen if you fill out an email form supplied by a scammer. In this technique, the target receives a phone call regarding the complaint.

The individual will be advised to stand in line for a supervisor. The fraudsters will continue to call and beg the consumer to stay on the line. Soon, the individual is obliged to pay to address the situation, only to be duped.

What Do Scammers Want from Amazon Customers?

The primary goal of most 2020 phone scams is to dupe unsuspecting people into handing over their money or personal information. Although scammers can use your phone number to get information about you, that data is not as valuable. The main aim is credit card information, banking accounts, usernames, and passwords. In general, they want any information that would allow them to get access to your internet accounts.

Fraudsters can steal from consumers using a victim's financial information. They purchase online using credit card information. This online buying generally entails PCs, phones, jewelry, gift cards, and even equipment to help them with their jobs. They can also use the information gathered for identity theft.

How to Report a Phone Scam to Amazon

Customers may report phone fraud to Amazon in a variety of ways. Some examples of this media are as follows:

Contact Amazon on its dedicated scam reporting email address

Amazon has a special mailbox for reporting suspected scam mails. Individuals can forward suspected phishing emails to stop-spoofing@amazon.com. Although Amazon will not reply to these emails, you will get a message notifying you of the receipt of this mail. And it will help the organization in its fight against scammers.

Contact an Amazon customer service representative

(888) 280-4331 is the available toll-free Amazon customer support number, and it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Individuals can use this medium to make a comeback. On the other hand, expecting a callback is dangerous, especially if the individual first complained about the problem on a public forum.

Tweet Amazon customer service

Customers who want to report a fraud case on Amazon may also contact a customer service agent by sending a direct message to @AmazonHelp

However, you should be aware that Amazon's official customer care handle has a blue tick, indicating that the account is authentic. You should beware of fraudsters who approach you pretending to be corporate representatives. Avoid any Amazon handle that does not have the blue tick since it is from a fraudster. You should immediately report such accounts to Amazon and Twitter.

Participate in the Amazon Forum

Another option to report a fraudulent experience to Amazon is through their community forum. One significant advantage is that clients do not receive automated answers. By publishing the report on the site, you can gain further insight from other Amazon users who have had similar problems. As a result, in addition to learning more about how fraudsters work, you also enlighten other people who have not experienced similar issues. However, before publishing or reporting on the platform, you must first create an account on the forum.

When you disclose a phone scam, you help Amazon become aware of the fraud and take action to safeguard its consumers from this sort of fraud. The company's customer care staff will assist you.

Customers who report scammer experiences help the company prepare and improve security processes to ensure that customers do not become victims.

How to Report an Amazon Scam to Law Enforcement

Individuals can also report Amazon phone scams to law enforcement organizations. Reporting the fraud might help catch spammers before they cause harm to others. You can report scams in several different ways.

Individuals who have been scammed can submit a complaint with the FTC through its report fraud page. If the customer has not been deceived, they can provide valuable information by completing a National Do Not Call Registry form.

You must report the phone number displayed on the caller ID (even if you think it is spoofed). Individuals should also report any number supplied by scammers, whether for a callback or as a replacement. By examining patterns and calling behaviors, the FTC may be able to identify bogus callers. The FTC also uses this information to track down and capture scammers.

When you realize that you have been a victim of identity theft, you may also report it to the FTC via their identity theft reporting portal. There is also a working group called Anti-phishing. You can forward any emails containing suspected phishing attacks to their email address. The FBI also has a division devoted only to combating cybercrime. This department provides an online reporting portal where you may report internet fraud, phone scams, identity theft, and so on.

Reporting phone scammers to federal agencies aids in the battle against the scamming plague. It informs authorities about the fraudsters' tactics and helps them to create a strategy to stop them.

Precautions and Safeguards Against Amazon Phone Scams

First of all, never view attachments or click links in suspicious emails or text messages to protect yourself from these scammers. Click on Protect Your System if you've already opened an attachment or visited a questionable link. You should also activate a Two-Step Verification to improve the security of your account.

Number two, check Your Orders to check whether an order matches the information in the communication. The letter isn't from Amazon if it doesn't match an order in Your Account on Amazon.com or another Amazon foreign website.

And finally, take a look at Your Orders. If you are not asked to alter your payment method on that screen, the message is not from Amazon.

Having taken all these precautions, the following are steps you should also take to safeguard against scammers:

• Terminate the call: Even if the contact isn't a fraudster, a company that illegally contacts a customer is a bad one. When Amazon customers get a robocall, they should not dial any numbers since doing so may result in further robocalls.
• Block the call: Because internet calls are generally less expensive and faster, fraudsters may prefer them. Even if the victim has registered, the National Do Not Call Registry's phone number and scammers may get it. As a result, call-blocking is Amazon customers' most significant line of protection against unwanted phone calls.
• Recognize that caller id alone is inadequate at identifying a caller. Criminals have mastered the art of impersonating caller ID numbers. The fraudster may appear genuine by calling a company number. A customer should never give their computer password to an unknown individual who phones unexpectedly.
• Perform a reverse phone lookup: Amazon users may use the phone number search to determine if the number is indeed an Amazon phone number or Amazon customer service phone number. These apps are helpful since they disclose the caller's location, time zone, contact information, relatives, and other information.

What to Do if you Fall for an Amazon Phone Scam

If you find that a fraudster has duped you, there is still a possibility that you will not lose your money if you move quickly. Regardless of the payment method or the specifics, the victim should act as promptly as possible.

A person who paid a fraudster with a debit or credit card may be able to prevent the transaction from proceeding. You must immediately call the relevant card company or the bank that issued it. Inform them of the problem and make a chargeback request.

Notify the FTC using their online complaint form as soon as possible and inform them of all scams. The FTC will record your complaint and, if required, contact you for more information.

Make a complaint to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. They will document your complaint and, if required, contact you for more information. You should always make sure that your complaint is thoroughly filled out, regardless of the sort of complaint you file. The more information you offer with your complaint, the more important it will be for investigation reasons, allowing them to complete cases faster, aid more people, and put scammers behind bars!

The Bottom-line

At the end of the day, this information is here to empower Amazon customers and unsuspecting citizens with information to help them identify and avoid Amazon scam calls.  While Amazon scam phone calls are increasingly common, the company consistently tries to improve customer care and joins forces with reputable partners. Do your part in fighting phone scams by staying informed and aware of those who aren’t who they say they are.