Many people are relying on Amazon deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic and fraudsters are taking advantage of that. Now, a new scam targeting Amazon customers is duping people out of a lot of money.
Sheyla Maldonado got a text, which appeared to be from Amazon, telling her to review her shipment details.
"I'm an Amazon Prime member," said Maldonado. "They’d never done that to me. It looked fishy."
Maldonado was right, it was scam.
The Better Business Bureau says fraudsters are pretending to be Amazon to trick consumers into turning over their credit card information. Steve McFarland explained what the scammers could say.
"With all the business and all the activity, we’re being scammed here at Amazon," said McFarland. "So let me cross reference your credit card number with the order we have on file. And then we’ll deliver it to you on schedule."
The bureau says this scam is on the rise. Maldonado didn't fall for it but others aren't so lucky.
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"At this time with COVID-19, it’s easy to target consumers who use Amazon Prime to order stuff because they can’t buy anything from the stores at this moment," said Maldonado.
The bureau said the scam can come through text, email or phone call. Sometimes scammers will also send you a link to click, which can install malware on your computer, allowing fraudsters to swipe your personal information. Never respond to these messages.
If you think it might really be Amazon, reach out to the company directly.
"We don’t need any more scare or fear in our lives," said Maldonado. "We should just be comfortable using our amazon prime."
