Amazon.com Scam Hits Holiday Shoppers - Fraud Alert

Just in time for the holidays, crooks have come up with a credible-looking way to scam online shoppers.

How it works:  

• You get an e-mail that appears to be from Amazon.com stating your recent order cannot be shipped.
• Claiming a problem with processing, the e-mail informs you that you won’t be able to access your account or place orders with Amazon until you confirm your information.
• A “click here” link leads to an authentic-looking Amazon web page to confirm your name, address and credit card information.
• After entering the information and clicking on a “save and continue” button, you are redirected to Amazon’s actual website.

What you should know:   

• The scam e-mail subject line will say “Your Amazon.com order cannot be shipped.”
• If the “from” line in the e-mail contains an Internet Service Provider other than @amazon.com, the e-mail is not from Amazon.

What you should do: 

• If you get an e-mail like this from Amazon (or any other online retailer), don’t click on the link!
• If you’ve recently ordered from Amazon and are concerned about missing an authentic update, use your web browser to independently (not through the email) log in to Amazon.com and check under “Your Orders” to see if the e-mail’s details match any of your order information. If the information doesn’t match, then the e-mail is a scam.

If you think you've been the victim of a scam, contact the South Dakota Attorney General's Office by calling 1-800-300-1986.

 

Photo Courtesy of:  alexskopje