Greg's Corner

Amazon and Zelle used to scam veteran

By Greg Collier

An Army veteran from Florida recently fell victim to a scam while trying to set up his smart TV. The man was trying to activate Amazon’s Prime Video app on his TV when he received an error message. Typically, this error message states that there is a connectivity issue and refers you to an official Amazon help page for assistance. However, if someone were to take the URL of the Amazon page and use it in a Google search instead of going directly to the Amazon page, you could find a scam site listed at the top of the search results.

The former soldier found himself on just such a page, where he was asked to enter an access code to authorize his device. In this case, it doesn’t matter what access code is input. Someone could put in any string of numbers and letters and still be taken to the next part of the scam. After the man entered the code, he was taken to a page that asked him to call a customer service number.

After he called the number, the scammer was able to gain access to the man’s Amazon account and did help him install the Prime Video app to his TV. Scammers do this to try to add legitimacy to their scam. Then, the man was told that his Amazon account had been compromised, and he needed to transfer money out of his bank account using the Zelle app to protect his accounts. Before it was all over, the man had lost $6000 to the scammers. As is typical with Zelle scams, the man’s bank has refused any kind of refund.

When dealing with online customer service or tech support, always make sure you’re at the correct website. In this instance, make sure you’re at an Amazon.com address and not some address that appears to have no connection to Amazon. Also, no legitimate business will ask you to make any kind of transaction using the Zelle app. Apps like Zelle, Venmo, and Cash App are only supposed to be used between family and friends. This is why these apps don’t offer the same protections you might receive with a credit or debit card.

Lastly, this scam shows once again that anybody can fall victim to a scam. The victim in this scam even said as much to local media when he told them, “I’m 68 years old. I’m a vet. I thought I knew everything. I thought I was smart when it came to things like that.”