Amazon Imposters Behind 1/3 of Scam Reports: FTC

A third of consumers who reported a business impersonator scam since July 2020 say the scammer pretended to be Amazon, blogged Maria Mayo, acting associate director of the FTC Division of Consumer Response and Operations. Reported losses from over 96,000 people contacted by Amazon impersonators totaled more than $27 million, said the FTC, with a reported median individual loss of $1,000. Some offer to refund consumers for an unauthorized purchase but “accidentally transfer” more, asking the consumers to send back the difference, said Mayo Wednesday. The scammer then moves the victims’ money from one of their accounts to another to make it look like a refund. Others are told hackers accessed their account and the only way to protect it is to buy gift cards and share the card number and PIN. Never call back an unknown number and only use information on Amazon’s website; don't pay with a gift card if asked by an unknown person; and don't give remote access to information to someone who contacts them unexpectedly, Mayo said. Report scams here.