In today’s day and age, there are so many Amazon fraud phone calls that take place every single day. Reports have been made of UK households receiving a phone call from an unknown number. The caller says that they recently received the recipient’s order via Amazon Prime and they need to confirm it from Amazon’s membership service. They will also tell you to press a number on your phone’s keypad, should there be any issues.  

Amazon, however, warns customers to be careful about such calls and do not press any buttons. They should also hang up the phone before they get connected to any “Amazon employee” since these are cybercriminals. These scammers will do anything to try and get money or sensitive information from unsuspecting victims. 

If you receive a call from Amazon about suspicious activity, it may be because a scammer has gotten hold of your information and is using your account for fraud. Or it could be a scammer trying to get your information. To avoid being a victim of such tricks, here are some things you need to know about Amazon fraud calls. 

How It Works

Unfortunately, scammers are not only using Amazon to make fake phone calls. They are also using other big-name brands to try to lure customers into thinking it is a legitimate call. Aside from an Amazon Prime phone call, scammers pretend to be calling from Apple.  

If you receive a phone call from either company, you will most likely get a recorded message introducing themselves. These scam calls from Amazon will usually tell you that there is a problem with your account. They will usually say that there is a suspicious purchase, an order that can’t be fulfilled, or a lost package. 

There are also other Amazon fraud calls where the scammer will give you a heads up that there was an Amazon suspicious activity phone call on your account. They will usually tell you to press 1 to speak to someone or give you another number to call. But what happens if you press 1 on the Amazon scam call? They will ask you for your personal information to verify your identity. So under any circumstances, do not call or press 1 on the call. It’s nothing but a scam. 

If you accidentally pressed 1, do not give out your details. Hang up the phone and block their number.

Types of Amazon Scams

There are several types of fraud on Amazon that occur. Here are the most common ones on how to scam Amazon:

The Failed Delivery Scam

One of the oldest frauds on Amazon is the failed delivery scam. In this scam, a buyer will purchase an item and claim that they never received it. They will then ask for a refund or replacement on their ordered item. 

If you are a seller on Amazon, you must take this with a grain of salt. While there may be some instances wherein the package did not arrive, there are some who are doing this as a scam. 

Always send an item via track-and-trace postage so you can get protection in disputes. This option will verify that the item you shipped was delivered and that it arrived at your buyer’s doorstep. And since they collect a signature upon delivery, you get a guarantee that your item was truly received. 

The Replace and Refund Scam

One of the common Amazon order scams that usually takes place is a replace and refund scam. It typically occurs when the buyer asks for a refund on a supposed damaged item. Since this type of scam is difficult to prove, it can be tricky to dispute. You can record a video of the product before shipping it so you can use it as proof.

Another option to combat this type of scam is to use a tamper-proof sticker. By attaching this to your product, you can use it as evidence that the product was tampered with. 

Phishing Scams

Also called spoofing, a phishing scam is another type of scam that comes from Amazon fraud calls. In this scam, an individual will call you and pretend to be a representative of Amazon. During the call, the scammer will attempt to get your person information so they can steal your money or identity.

These are some of the most common Amazon scam calls 2021 that take place. While this scam mostly happens via email, some use text messages too. You have to be careful about clicking any links or attachments in these emails and texts as they may contain viruses or lead to a phishing site. Your passwords and private information may be obtained by these links. 

You may also receive an Amazon security team phone call where they will try to get your details over the phone. You should be careful of such calls as they could simply be phishing attempts. If you receive a call that you’re suspicious of, report them to Amazon right away. 

Email Scams

Email scams are also pretty common with Amazon scams. These are like phishing scams that get sent to your email account. The problem with this scam is that they are often successful since they look authentic. But you can protect yourself by knowing how to spot them right away. So customers who get scammed using this method usually fall victim, because the email looks legitimate. 

How To Avoid Scam Calls From Amazon

If you are asking can you get scammed on Amazon, the short answer is yes? The trick here is to know how to identify an Amazon robocall scam so you can protect yourself. Here are some of our tips on how to avoid scam calls from Amazon:

• Don’t click any links you find in an email or a text message
• Never give your details over the phone, text, or email
• Use a phone search engine to detect if the phone number is a scammer. 
• Look for any grammatical or spelling errors in the email
• Check the sender’s email address if you receive an email
• Double-check everything
• Keep up-to-date with any new scams that may arise

Remember that if you are having doubts, it may be best to listen to them. 

How To Identify if an Email, Call, or Text Is From Amazon

Does Amazon call you? The answer to this is a bit complex. While some of Amazon’s customer service team makes an outbound call to customers, they will never ask you to verify or provide your personal information. If you receive a call asking for these things, that’s a huge red flag already. 

You should also be careful about opening emails from a supposed Amazon email. Look at it carefully and check for any spelling or grammar errors. Another thing to check is the urgency of such emails or calls. If it asks you to do something right away, that’s another red flag to be aware of. 

If you receive an Amazon purchase scam call that you’re dubious of, you can give their customer service a call to verify its legitimacy. Always remember that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. 

How To Report Suspected Amazon Scams

Amazon takes phishing, fraud, and scam attempts seriously. So if you receive suspicious correspondence, it’s best to report it immediately. 

You can send an email to stop-spoofing@amazon.com with an attachment of the email you received. Meanwhile, if you receive a suspicious call or text message, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). 

What To Do if You Receive a Suspicious Call

If you receive a call you are suspicious of, contact Amazon right away. This is the best way you can protect yourself and stop scammers from targeting you. In any way, do not respond to any of their messages.