FraudSMART is advising consumers to be on high alert for Amazon Prime Day scams where fraudsters claim to be from Amazon ‘Support Team!
How does the scam work?
You might get a text message or email claiming that your Prime account has expired and request your personal information and/or bank account details to “renew it.”
Scammers, posing as Amazon employees, may even contact you by phone and urge you to hand to over information like credit card details and logins.
These schemes may also come in the form of text messages notifying you of “suspicious activity on your account” or claiming you’ve qualified for a promotion.
They create a false sense of urgency and indicate that a failure to act will result in the account being suspended or closed.
Text messages and emails will often be accompanied by a link. However, clicking it leads to a website, that may look very like the genuine Amazon website but is designed to steal information and compromise your Amazon account.
- Never click on unsolicited links in text messages or emails.
- If you are unsure of the legitimacy of any text message, ignore it and contact the company directly using the contact details provided on their official website.
- If someone claiming to be from Amazon is pressuring you on the phone to take urgent action, hang up and contact Amazon customer service directly.
- Your credit union/bank will never ask for your full PIN or online banking passwords. If in doubt, call us or card services using the number on the back of your debit card.
- Never give away personal information or security details such as your PIN or online password to anyone.
- Ensure your computer and mobile software and security is up to date with reliable antivirus and browser software.
- Remember, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
- If you think you have responded to a scam text message or phone call, contact your credit union/bank and the Gardaí immediately.
Be Informed, Be Alert, Be Secure – Be FraudSMART