With Amazon Prime days sparking more transactions across the world, new imposter scams are popping up.
Amazon Prime members need to be cautious of message alerts alluding to issues with their memberships and orders.
What does the fraud entail?
Cyber criminals are essentially overwhelming members with numerous calls, texts and emails pretending to be from Amazon.
They will contact you either as an employee to resolve account issues or through automated messages asking for payment. They will point you towards a link to solve any issues with payments, but it’s important you don’t click it as it is a scam. Updated payment information will be requested, which then supplies the scammers with current credit card/bank information. Opening the link could also allow malicious software (malware) to be installed on your device.
Examples of Message Alerts
There have been a few messages that have been reported. According to Fox Business, most of the messages follow this format:
“Amazon: Due to a payment issue, your Prime membership has been paused; Please recheck the details on file. <With a fake Amazon web address>
How to Protect Yourself
If you get a message from Amazon, make sure to contact Amazon directly to verify its authenticity. Also, check your Amazon account yourself to see if there are any issues.
If you think you are getting phishing messages, report them to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Amazon.