![]() Has “Amazon” contacted you to confirm a recent purchase you did not make or to tell you that your account has been hacked? Often, the unauthorized charge is in the amount of $1,499. This year, Amazon scams originating from robocalls, texts and emails have been among the top five complaints to AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline. Scammers claim that your account has been misused and try to get your cash and sensitive data. The Federal Trade Commission reports that from July 2020 through June 2021, about one in three people who reported a business impersonator to the FTC said the scammer claimed to be calling from Amazon. One of the most prevalent scams of this kind involves impersonators claiming to represent the retailer Amazon. These scams capitalize on people’s trust in a brand or in a company with which they already do business. ![]() There is another scam that has been bombarding consumers recently, about which people may not be as aware. There are also foreign money exchange scams, bogus debt scams and counterfeit cashier check scams. These scams include threatening calls from the IRS, technical support calls concerning issues with your computer, fake charity appeals, lottery scams, family members in danger or needing money, insurance, health care, debt scams and website password request scams. And while scammers use many different scenarios, there are some scams more common than others that are currently making the rounds. Scammers are always looking for new approaches and for new victims. For those of us who have fallen victim or almost fallen victim to these calls, they can be traumatic, and can cause financial loss and embarrassment, leaving us feeling violated and playing havoc with our lives. Scam calls, whether by a live person, a robocall or a text, are an invasion of our privacy and, in many cases, illegal. They are annoying, a nuisance and a waste of our time. And if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.We all know about them and we have all received them. Verify independently with the company any information you are given over the phone. Never hand out your bank details over the phone. While companies and banks can alert their users about the scams – and should do so proactively as soon as they are made aware of issues arising – they can’t control everything that happens outside their own platforms. But as soon as one scam is neutralised, another appears so consumers, and businesses, are always playing catch-up with the criminals. Should companies do more to educate customers about potential security risks? Perhaps. In the case of the fake Amazon calls, there is another solution: a phone that displayed caller ID and could block nuisance calls. Knowing what to be on the lookout for is key. The only thing that gave it away as a fake was a slight misalignment of the text – something that would never have made it into the final version of the software on your computer. ![]() It claimed to be Windows Defender, mimicking the software’s aesthetic almost to a tee. I’d had the same pop-up on my own machine a few days before, and it was extremely convincing. His credit card number was probably being sold on as he spoke. If you know what to look for, you are less likely to be fooled.Ī few years ago I overheard a conversation on the bus about paying for upgraded security software after a pop-up – undoubtedly a scam – had alerted the user to a large number of viruses on his hard drive. It’s a new twist on the fake “Windows support” calls that try to persuade you to pay money for security software upgrades that ultimately leave you with a depleted bank account or suspect charges on your credit card. Amazon don’t call your home – a number they’ve never been given – to renew or cancel a subscription they will send you emails instead. You subscribe online and give your credit card details to the company through its website. If you are familiar with Amazon and how it works, the signs are there. But this is a case where prevention is definitely better. Your best bet is that you may be saved from disaster by your own bank: some require a second method of verification before they will transfer large amounts of cash to unknown accounts. I was there when the second call came in and it is easy to see how people, momentarily wrongfooted by the news that their account has been charged for something they never agreed to, would be taken in by the scam. An alternative scenario, going by reports, is that she would have been offered a refund and, naturally, they would need her to disclose her bank details or card details to process it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |