Greg's Corner

Tagged: Amazon Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on November 3, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, customer service ( 49 ), gift cards ( 98 ), impersonation scam ( 113 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), security card   

  Gift cards are not ‘security cards’ 

  

  By Greg Collier

  We have long said that if someone is asked to use a gift card for anything besides a gift, it is almost assuredly a scam. Once a scam victim buys a gift card and gives the scammer the card number, that money is immediately lost to the scammer. We can’t stress this enough that no legitimate company or agency will ever ask for payment of a debt or service in gift cards. As more consumers become aware of gift card scams, scammers have to adapt their tactics in order to fool their victims.

  Lately, there has been a rise in the Amazon impersonation scam. This is where scammers send out emails or text messages that look like they’ve come from Amazon. The messages say that an expensive item was fraudulently purchased through the victim’s Amazon account. The messages include a fake customer service number to call. Once the victim calls the fake customer service number, they leave themselves open for a number of scams.

  For example, a woman in Colorado recently fell victim to this scam. She says she received a call from someone posing as an Amazon agent. The victim was told that in order to prevent her account from being hacked that she needed to buy a ‘security card’ from a local retailer. She was informed that both Apple and Google have these kinds of cards. However, security cards aren’t really a thing, and these were just gift cards. After she gave the card numbers to the scammer, the scammer continued to hound the victim for more money, promising that the next payment would definitely secure the victim’s Amazon account.

  If you receive a message or call from someone claiming to be from Amazon and there’s fraudulent activity on your account, don’t just take their word for it. Before taking any action given by the message, check your Amazon account for any fraudulent activity. If there isn’t any, then you can disregard any instructions you received as being part of a scam. And just because a scammer calls something a ‘security card’ doesn’t make it so.

   

  Leave a ReplyCancel reply
• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on August 6, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, brushing scam ( 17 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Brushing scam not as harmless as it seems 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The brushing scam is one of the more confusing scams if you’re not in the know. For clarification, the brushing scam is when third-party Amazon retailers send you a bunch of their products. You didn’t pay for it, but you didn’t order it either. The vendors do this so they can say you’re a verified purchaser and use your name to give themselves a five-star review. Legally, you can keep the stuff they send you, even though it’s usually low-quality items that you probably have no need for. So what’s the harm?

  According to the Better Business Bureau, it means that the scammers have a lot of your personal information. Enough of it in fact that they can open an Amazon account in your name even if you already have one. While you may not be losing money while getting free stuff delivered to your door, it does mean that your identity and privacy have been compromised.

  If you start receiving these unsolicited items from Amazon, the first thing you should do is make sure that your account isn’t being charged for the items you’re receiving. Just as a precaution, you should change your Amazon password to something that’s not easily guessable, like your birthdate or one of your kids’ names. Then you should contact Amazon to let them know that a vendor is brushing, as this is forbidden under Amazon’s terms of service. Go to Amazon’s website to find their customer service info. Don’t do a web search for their phone number, as that can lead you to a phony customer service department who is also looking to scam you.

   
• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on July 16, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: AirPods, Amazon, Apple ( 28 ), phishing ( 73 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), sweepstakes ( 25 ), text messaging ( 32 )   

  Amazon raffle text is a scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  The Better Business Bureau is reporting that they’ve received complaints in the hundreds about a new texting scam. Considering the number of people who report things to the BBB, there are probably thousands more who are receiving this scam text message. And once again, due to their popularity and ubiquity, online retailer Amazon is having their name used in this new scam. The same could be said for Apple, as one of their more popular products is being used in the scam.

  As you can see above, the text message gives off the impression that you’ve won a pair or Apple AirPods from Amazon. All you have to do is click the link in the text message. The link takes you to a fraudulent website that looks like Amazon but isn’t. You’re then asked to enter your financial information to pay for a $6 shipping charge. Except, your card isn’t charged for $6 and instead is charged for close to $100. For your trouble, you still get a pair of earbud style headphones in the mail, but they’re a cheap knockoff that are probably worth less than the supposed shipping charge.

  When it comes to things like online raffles and sweepstakes, you need to keep one rule in mind. You can’t win a contest that you didn’t enter. Corporations like Amazon don’t do random surprise drawings to give away prizes. It’s also illegal for any contest or sweepstakes to make you pay for your prize, this includes shipping. It’s also recommended that you don’t click on random links in text messages and emails. These links could lead you to scam websites such as this or inject malware into your device.

  It might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason. If sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

   
• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on June 21, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, brushing scam ( 17 ), Prime Day ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Brushing scams return in time for Prime Day 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Amazon’s popular Prime Day promotion starts today. Prime Day has gotten so popular that other major retailers have started their own version of Prime Day to compete with Amazon’s industry-leading sale. While these online sales could be a great value for consumers, they could also be a great burden for some. According to reports, one of the more annoying scams has been making the rounds again just in time for Prime Day.

  Of course, we’re talking about the brushing scam. The brushing scam is when you get sent packages to your home of things you didn’t order. Usually, these packages come from Amazon and contain low-cost items. This is done so third-party vendors that sell through Amazon can give themselves good online reviews in your name, and the review shows up on Amazon as a verified purchase, giving the phony review more legitimacy. In turn, this leads to these products being recommended more often by Amazon. One family in New York State recently received thousands of face mask brackets that they didn’t order. They received so many that the boxes were piled higher than their front door.

  While you may think it’s great to be getting free stuff, the brushing scam could have longer lasting results. If you receive unsolicited packages like this, it could mean that your Amazon, or other retailer, account could be compromised. It’s recommended that you check your account for any unauthorized purchases and to change your account password. It could also mean that your identity was part of a data leak, which is where scammers often get the information about their victims. Also, you should keep an eye on your credit, as brushing scammers could potentially have your financial information as well.

   
• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on April 7, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, phone scam ( 45 ), refund scam ( 7 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Amazon refund call is a scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Lately, it seems that Amazon has been used the most by online scammers. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve posted about a couple of different scams where scammers have posed as Amazon employees to fleece their victims. In both cases the victims were told that someone made a false purchase on their Amazon accounts. One victim was approached by email while the other received a robocall. Now, there’s a scam going around using the Amazon name that’s not using the false order angle. This scam uses the one thing that could motivate someone more than a phony order and that’s a refund.

  Many people from around the country have reported receiving phone calls from someone claiming to be from Amazon. They are then told that due to fraud activity on their account that they’re due a refund. The first catch is that the fake Amazon rep needs remote access to your computer. The second catch is that the victim is asked to log into their Amazon account. If that wasn’t enough, the victim is then asked to log into their bank account, so the refund could be processed. Yet, the scam still isn’t over. The scammer will then try to convince the victim that they were refunded too much money and need to buy gift cards to pay back the overage. This is a scam on top of a scam on top of a scam. Scamception if you will.

  You should never allow anyone to have remote access to your computer. No legitimate company or agency would ever need remote access to your computer. Not only does this allow anyone to peer into your private files, but they could also plant any kind of malware into your system. If you log into your Amazon account while you’re remote sharing, the scammers will now have your Amazon login information. The same goes for your bank login. And of course, gift cards should only be for gifts and not for making any kind of payment. As we are fond of saying, gift cards have become the currency of con artists.

  If you were actually due a refund from Amazon for whatever reason, it would be automatically returned to whatever card you used to make that purchase. Amazon will not call you out of the blue to tell you that you have a refund.

   
• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on April 2, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, customer service ( 49 ), customer support ( 23 ), false order ( 2 ), robocalls ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Amazon robocall scam on the rise 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Not too long ago, we posted about an email phishing scam where the scammers posed as online retailer Amazon. Essentially, the victim received an email that said someone had made a large purchase on their Amazon account. When they called the phony customer service number included in the email they were told to buy thousands of dollars in gift cards to cancel the order. This scam seems to have returned with a vengeance across the county except this time in the form of robocalls.

  Robocalls are those automated spam calls that many of use keep receiving. It’s become an almost unavoidable everyday occurrence. Robocalls are illegal in the United States, but scammers rarely ever care about the law. This is why you still receive these calls even after being added to the national do not call list.

  Many reports are coming in from all over the country where consumers say they’ve been receiving robocalls purporting to be from Amazon. It’s an automated voice message that wants to confirm a high-dollar purchase that you supposedly made on Amazon. The message then provides a number to a phony customer service number which most certainly is not to Amazon. Other robocalls of this sort will ask you to press 1 to be transferred to someone who again, most likely does not work for Amazon.

  As we previously advised, if you receive one of these calls, do not call the number provided or press whatever number the call suggests to talk to someone. Instead, log into your Amazon account to make sure that no order of that type has been made to your account. If it has, you can dispute the order with Amazon right on their platform. We also recommend routinely changing your Amazon password if you receive one of these scam calls or emails.

   
• 

  Geebo 8:00 am on March 16, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, customer service ( 49 ), customer support ( 23 ), false order ( 2 ), gift cards ( 98 ), north carolina ( 15 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  Victim loses $16,000 in Amazon scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Amazon scams are nothing new. To be clear, we’re not talking about scams perpetrated by the online retailer giant. Instead, we’re talking about scams that use the Amazon name. The most infamous of these scams is the brushing scam. The brushing scam is when you get sent packages to your home of things you didn’t order. Usually, these packages come from Amazon and contain low-cost items. This is done so third-party vendors that sell through Amazon can give themselves good online reviews in your name, and the review shows up on Amazon as a verified purchase giving the phony review more legitimacy. In turn, this leads to these products being more recommended by Amazon. Sometimes, these items are charged to someone’s Amazon account.

  Today, we’re going to talk about what we’re going to call the false order scam. In this scam, the victim receives an email that looks like it came from Amazon. The email claims that expensive and high-end items have been charged to you. It then conveniently goes on to say that if you didn’t order these items, call the toll-free number contained in the email. The phone number goes to a phony customer service department that will either try to steal your personal and financial information or your money.

  Recently, a woman in North Carolina fell victim to this scam and lost $16,000. She received a scam email and when she called the fake customer service number she was instructed that she needed to buy thousands of dollars in gift cards to cancel the phony purchase. What made this scam particularly egregious was when the scammer stayed on the phone with the woman the entire time she went from store to store buying multiple gift cards. When she started suspecting this was a scam the scammer allegedly said that “You called us, scammers call you.”

  This is nowhere near being true. Scammers often set up phony customer service numbers for popular platforms. The Cash App customer service scam is one that immediately comes to mind.

  There are several ways to protect yourself from this kind of scam. The first is to check the email address from the sender. If it’s not from Amazon.com, it’s a scam. Also, before you go calling anyone suggested by the email, you can go into your Amazon account and check your order history to see if the order is real or not. Lastly, if you actually need to call Amazon, you can click on the Customer Service tab at the top of Amazon’s website for more information.

   
• 

  Geebo 9:00 am on February 4, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, brushing scam ( 17 ), face masks ( 2 ), PPE ( 2 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  New brushing scam sends out face masks 

  

  It was only a couple of weeks ago when we talked about the last brushing scam. That scam had people receiving a bluish-white powder in the mail.

  For those of you who may not know, a brushing scam is when you get sent packages to your home of things you didn’t order. Usually, these packages come from Amazon and contain low-cost items. This is done so third-party vendors that sell through Amazon can give themselves good online reviews in your name, and the review shows up on Amazon as a verified purchase giving the phony review more legitimacy. In turn, this leads to these products being more recommended by Amazon.

  The most recent brushing scam has consumers receiving a delivery of face masks. They’re said to be arriving in Amazon packages but being shipped from China. If you receive one of these packages, it’s recommended that you throw the masks out. You may also want to check your Amazon account to make sure your account has not been compromised. Even if it hasn’t been compromised, it is highly recommended that you change your Amazon password. If you were to leave your password unchanged, it could lead to items being purchased with your payment information. It could also lead to potential identity theft.

  If you shop at different online retailers, you should have a different password for each retailer. A password manager is recommended to assist you with that. Also, you should keep an eye on your credit as brushing scammers could potentially have your financial information.

  If any of your debit or credit cards have been used in this scam you’ll want to cancel them and have new ones issued. The only consolation to the victims of this scam is that they can legally keep the items sent to them, however, they’re usually not the type of items you’d normally want to keep.

   
• 

  Geebo 9:00 am on January 15, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, brushing scam ( 17 ), identity theft ( 96 ), Indiana ( 6 ), Scams ( 1,224 )   

  New brushing scam sends you white powder 

  

  Brushing scams are unfortunately, nothing new. This is when you get sent packages to your home of things you didn’t order. Usually, they come from Amazon or some other large online retailer. This is done so third-party vendors with these retailers can give themselves good online reviews in your name. This makes it look like their product was favorably reviewed by verified purchasers. The most infamous brushing scam took place over this past summer when thousands of consumers received unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail.

  We may be facing yet another one of these massive brushing scam incidents. Police in the Indianapolis metro are reporting that residents there have been receiving quite an ominous delivery that they didn’t order. These packages have been said to contain a blue and white powdery substance. Local police say the substance isn’t harmful, but residents should still avoid contact with it. They are also recommending that if you receive one of these packages to contact your local police. The US Postal Inspection Service says that they’ve received reports of consumers from across the country receiving these packages.

  While police in Indiana are stating that the scammers are getting consumers’ personal information from public sources like social media, often these brushing scams can mean one of your online accounts has been compromised. For example, if you received one of these brushing packages from Amazon, your Amazon account may have been compromised. It’s recommended that you change your password if this happens to you. If you were to leave your password the way it is, that could lead to items being purchased with your money. There is also the potential that it could lead to identity theft.

  While the brushing scam may seem relatively harmless at first, it could lead to a world of trouble if the consumer isn’t careful.

  New brushing scam sends out face masks | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
• 

  Geebo 9:00 am on December 7, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon, brushing scam ( 17 ), Scams ( 1,224 ), walmart ( 24 )   

  Brushing scams return in time for the holidays 

  

  While brushing scams have been around for a while, they came to prominence over the summer. That’s when a multitude of consumers across the country received unsolicited packages of seeds in the mail. While the latest round of brushing scams don’t appear to have the same scope as the seed scam, that doesn’t make them any less of a risk.

  If you’re unfamiliar with a brushing scam, it’s when overseas scammers send items to your home that you didn’t order. Usually, these items are sent from major online retailers like Amazon and Walmart. Brushing scammers are usually third party sellers on these retailer’s sites who are using the phony sales to inflate their review scores. Basically, the scammers will send you the product, then use that as a verified purchase to give themselves a good review. That’s just one of the many reasons why you shouldn’t believe every product review on a retailer’s website.

  Even though you may have received some products that are legally yours to keep, your personal information could be the cost. In many brushing scam cases, if you’re receiving these unsolicited items, it could mean that your retail accounts have been compromised. A number of these retailers allow you to keep your payment information on file. Potentially, these brushing scammers could also be making purchases through your account which you could be responsible for.

  The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers that if you receive unsolicited products, check your retail accounts to make sure that you haven’t been charged for any unauthorized purchases. You should also change the passwords on your retail accounts to try to prevent scams like this from happening to you in the future. Lastly, you should report any unsolicited products you receive to the retailer as it could help put a stop to the brushing practice.

  With the holidays right around the corner and many of us receiving deliveries from major retailers, these brushing packages could go unnoticed. Keep an eye on your deliveries and your credit and debit card statements to make sure you’re not being scammed.