Many people receive an email, text message, or phone claiming to be from Amazon, but those behind these calls are scammers and spammers. If you feel like they’re flooding your various inboxes, you’re not alone. Amazon scams have been reported on the rise. If you face a similar situation and want to find out who is on the other line, this post may give you some clues.

What are the common tricks in Amazon scams?

• Phishing emails: Scammers may send emails that appear to be from Amazon, asking users to click on a link to verify their account, update payment information, or confirm an order. These emails often contain fake Amazon logos and may lead to phishing websites designed to steal login credentials or personal information.
• Fake customer support calls: Scammers may call users posing as Amazon customer support representatives, claiming there is an issue with the user’s account, payment, or order. They may request sensitive information or payment to resolve the issue.
• Unauthorized account access: Hackers may gain access to Amazon accounts through various means, such as using stolen login credentials. Once inside, they may make unauthorized purchases, change account settings, or misuse personal information.
• Gift card scams: Scammers may ask for payment in the form of Amazon gift cards for various reasons, such as resolving a supposed issue with an account or paying for a service. Legitimate businesses and organizations typically do not request payment in gift cards.
• Tech support scams: Amazon support impersonators trick you into giving them remote access to your computer or sending them personal information.

Who’s behind the Amazon scams?

To start with, choose what types of Amazon scams you encounter:

• Phone/text message scams
• Email scams

How to verify Amazon scam text/phone?

Phishing text is the most common trick that scammers use. The messages may include some promotional budgets, and fictitious rewards to lure you to click on the links provided. Or they may claim a delayed package, or suspicious activity on your account to ask for your personal information.

When you read these messages, don’t click on any links or attachments, nor download anything. 6,000 people report money loss among 96,000 who said they’re targeted. Scam texts or calls can lead to financial loss, personal security threats, or even identity theft.

However, if you’re not sure if it’s a scam text or phone, check the following methods to get the phone number verification.

— Method 1 Search the phone number with Intelius

When you need to run a reverse phone number lookup, consider Intelius as one of your go-to options. As an industry-leading expert in people search, it has vast public records sources that can assist people searching for a phone number, name, or address.

When you enter a phone number and hit Search Now, it sorts through its sources and returns a report listing the available details, such as the possible phone number owner’s name, possible other contact info, education and job history, possible social media profiles and more, if available.

Wait for several minutes until the report is generated. Purchase a membership plan and view the report about the possible phone number owner’s name, their possible job history and more, if available. If the person doesn’t have any job related to Amazon, or his/her name isn’t the same as what he/she told, it’s most likely a scam.

— Method 2 Google the text message or phone number

Since Amazon scam reports are increasing, many people might have become a victim before you. They may share their experience online to alert other people or report the phone number on scamming sites.

You can just search Google with the text message you received and the phone number to see what others have said. Besides, if the phone number is related to Amazon, you can tell it from the search page.

How to spot Amazon scam emails?

The same messages can be delivered to you through emails. An example of it can be an email asking you to change the password immediately. It may also connect to paying by gift card, asking for pictures of gift cards, or sending you a fake invoice.

The goal is to get careless customers to click on certain links which may direct them to a fake website where they get prompts to provide personal data or credit card information. Or, if you download the attachment, you may also get a virus or malware settled on your computer.

One of the easy ways to distinguish involves checking if the email ends in @amazon.com. But sometimes clever spammers may also fake it. To have a specific identification of a suspicious Amazon email, try the methods below.

— Method 1 Reveal email sender with BeenVerified

BeenVerified boasts a 7-in-one people search tool that enables people to receive detailed info by email, name, username, phone number, address, and vehicle. Keeping your search private, legit, and speedy, it helps people find their lost friends, spot scammers, research neighbors, and so on.

Your report will be ready in minutes. Purchase a membership plan to unlock it. What you find in the report may be more than you expected: name, contact info, addresses, age, education, job history, criminal records, social media accounts, and more when available.

— Method 2 Search email address on social networks

Nowadays, you may find it hard to leave no trace online at all. Since social media spares no effort to connect people together to enhance engagement, many users are required to fill in their email addresses on their profiles. Therefore, you can try to search the mysterious emails on social platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat.

What to do with Amazon scams?

Report scams

Don’t know what you can do if you discover something suspicious?

You can report it to Amazon or FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Amazon takes fraud, scam, phishing, and spoofing attempts seriously. Just choose what kinds of suspicious communication you find and click the corresponding links to report.

In addition, if you have sent your personal information to the scammer such as your SSN, banking info, or social media, you need to stand alert and keep an eye on your identity safety.

Protect yourself

• Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA on your Amazon account for an additional layer of security.
• Verify emails and calls: Be cautious of unsolicited emails and calls. Verify the legitimacy of any communication by directly logging into your Amazon account or contacting Amazon through official channels.
• Check seller ratings: When making purchases on Amazon, check the seller’s ratings and reviews. Avoid sellers with low ratings or suspicious feedback.
• Review account activity: Regularly review your Amazon account activity to detect any unauthorized transactions or changes.
• Avoid identity theft: Run a free scan to check if your personal information is exposed on the Dark Web.

Read More: Find Someone’s Amazon Wish List Without Them Knowing

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