Scammers clearly see that online purchases through Amazon.com are not as straightforward as paying at the till of a local store. That seems to have sparked a new scam related to Amazon.
Although scams vary, the goal is usually to obtain personal information, or credit card numbers.
A Darfur area resident called to inform us he received a scam call on his answering machine. His first clue was that the robo-caller spoke right over his greeting on the machine.
“They said I made a $279.99 purchase on Amazon and that if I didn’t make that purchase I was to call Amazon Support,” the man said. He knew he didn’t make the purchase, but was suspicious it was some type of scam.
“I checked the number and Keene, N.H., comes up. It’s not an 800 number,” he said. “If it were Amazon, they’d have left an 800 number.”
After Googling Amazon, the man found the company’s 800 number and spoke with an employee named, “Doug,” who told the man this scam has been around for about a month. The scammer’s alleged Visa charges range from $279 to $1,100, but the concept is always the same.
“Doug said Amazon will never call you. If they see something suspicious on your account, they will block it and send an e-mail telling you how to unblock the account.”
Send your story to: rahnl@windomnews.com, or call 507-831-3455. Stories will appear in an upcoming edition and in a Thursday website report. By sharing your story, you may prevent others from being scammed.
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