The BBB Scam Tracker is hearing reports of a con that claims that your Amazon, PayPal or other account has been compromised. Scammers hope you’ll panic and fall for their scheme.
How the scam works
You receive an email, call or text message informing you there’s been suspicious activity in your bank account or another account, such as Amazon, Netflix or PayPal. You need to take immediate action to prevent your account from being compromised or to avoid being charged for a fraudulent purchase.
Don’t fall for it.
The email version of the con uses the company’s logo, colors and language to make the message look just like an official alert. In some examples, the emails are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
A link in the message leads to a website that asks for your account number, login and password. If you share this information, you give scammers access to that account – as well as to anywhere else you use the same password.
In the phone version, the caller claims to have noticed an expensive charge, which you didn’t make, on your account. Some victims told BBB Scam Tracker that the caller pushed them to download phony “security software.” This is really malware, which gave scammers access to sensitive information, such as passwords.
How to avoid the scam
To avoid being victimized by such scams:
• Be extra cautious with unsolicited calls, emails and texts. Don’t be quick to believe claims from unsolicited communications.
• If you want to check on your account status, go directly to the website. Don’t click links in suspicious emails. Instead, visit the website in question and log in to your account. Or look up the company’s official phone number – check your bill or welcome email – and call them to confirm that there really is a case of suspicious activity associated with your account.
• Understand how businesses handle communications. If you know how disputes and suspicious activity are handled, it will be easier to spot a scam. For example, PayPal clearly states that it will never send you an email asking for your password or to download attachments or software.
• Don’t panic, and don’t feel intimidated. Scammers want you to panic. They may use intimidation tactics to pressure you into acting before you have time to think. Stay calm and think things through. Legitimate businesses will not intimidate you in this way.
• Never give your personal information to strangers. If you aren’t speaking or corresponding with someone you know and trust, don’t give them sensitive information.
For more information on scams and how to avoid them, visit BBB.org/AvoidScams.
