UK shoppers are being warned about a surge in scams where fraudsters impersonate Amazon customer service staff, with more than £86,000 stolen from victims during October alone, according to Report Fraud.
The new tactic sees criminals moving beyond emails and bogus text messages to directly calling consumers, claiming to be Amazon employees. Once on the line, the fraudster says suspicious items have been placed in the victim's Amazon basket.
How the scam works
To lend credibility to the con, the fraudster will quote a delivery address that doesn't match the victim's and insist that somebody is trying to buy goods using the victim's payment details. The fraudster maintains that the only way to halt these transactions is by securing the account immediately.
Bogus instructions typically involve requesting that victims share their screen through messaging applications and hand over access to personal documents, like a passport or driving licence, for "verification" reasons. Perhaps most alarming is when scammers instruct the victim to install remote access software, giving criminals full control of computers and enabling them to carry out transactions in the victim's name.
Official warnings
Chief Superintendent Amanda Wolf, Head of Report Fraud Operations, warned: "Fraudsters are increasingly successful when they can make their approach feel ordinary. A call about an account issue, a delivery problem or suspicious activity can catch any of us off guard, particularly when it appears to come from a brand we know and trust."
She added: "The best defence is to pause. Criminals want people to react quickly; we want people to take a moment, challenge what they're being told and verify it through a trusted route. Whether somebody claims to be from Amazon, your bank, the police or any other organisation, don't feel pressured into acting immediately. End the conversation, find the genuine contact details yourself and make contact independently. A few moments of caution can make all the difference."
Amazon's response
An Amazon spokesperson said: "Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk and there are a variety of scams that ask people to make payments by email, phone, or text for items or services. Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now - scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they're asking, and they use convincing tactics to reel consumers in."
The spokesperson added: "We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep them safe."
