It’s the holiday season, so we’re all ready to get our Christmas shopping on. Everything from Christmas shopping to holiday cheer is on the rise… and that also goes for scams. It’s no mystery that retail scams reach a height during these times. There’s a new Amazon text message scam that was discovered by Techradar, and it’s important to avoid it if possible.
Everyone’s clamoring to get their Christmas shopping in, and that is auspicious for scammers. When people have shopping on the brain, it means that there are so many more people for scammers to potentially Target.
This new Amazon text message scam is on the rise
The mechanics of this scam are pretty simple, and it’s not quite the newest scam on the block. It’s something that’s been around for years. However, since the holidays are getting closer, you’ll want to be on the lookout for it.
You will get a text message from an unknown number, and the message will alert you about a recent purchase you made on Amazon. It will show you what product was purchased and the amount that your card was charged. In reality, no one made a purchase using your card.
Under that, you will get the classic “not you? Contact this number” spiel, and you will see a phone number right next to it. The scammers want you to call the phone number and talk to a representative at “Amazon“.
Once you’re on the call with a representative, they’ll ask you for your Amazon information to confirm your account. Now, this is where things get rocky, as once you give them your Amazon information, it’s all over. They will be able to take control of your account and steal your banking information.
The text message in question has blaring signs that it’s fake. For starters, at least based on the screenshot shared from TechRadar, the text reads “your card was charged with$649.” The word “with” should not be there.
Below that, the word “not” has a zero in the middle as opposed to the letter “O”. Also, the date format makes no sense. We see “05/DEC/2022”. Why use text in the middle when the rest of the date uses numbers? A text message straight from Amazon would not have these issues.
If you happen to get a message saying that your card was charged for an order you to not do, log on to your Amazon account and check your orders. If you don’t see an order, then it didn’t happen. Be safe this holiday season and do proper research before you give your credit card information to any service.