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Post update 7/16/2022: To include a new text message
I had an interesting text message today. I was sent a text from Amazon. It was a typical phishing text scam.
These scams are becoming more and more common lately.
The text message
The text arrived earlier this morning. It was a bit odd since I don’t usually get text messages from Amazon. When I saw the text at first I knew it was a phishing scam.
it’s along the lines of previous phishing scams. They claim your account is being deactivated and to follow up via a link provided in the text.
text sender
The sender was noreply-amazon-info-info-868229@ytxibwzl.com
First off I know it’s a scam because all of Amazon’s emails come from a brand Amazon.(dot)com address.
The text message
The text message was a typical phishing one. It stated that my account had been deactivated and that I needed to follow a link to verify my information.
A͏͏͏͏m͏͏͏͏azon.com͏͏͏͏,
W͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏ f͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏d͏͏͏͏ a͏͏͏͏ s͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏s͏͏͏͏p͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏s͏͏͏͏ t͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏s͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏, f͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏ s͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏y͏͏͏͏ r͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏s͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏s͏͏͏͏ w͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏ h͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏v͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏ d͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏v͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏d͏͏͏͏ y͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏ a͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏. p͏͏͏͏l͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏s͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏ s͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏ a͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏d͏͏͏͏ v͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏f͏͏͏͏y͏͏͏͏ y͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏ a͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏ i͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏f͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏m͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏ i͏͏͏͏m͏͏͏͏m͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏d͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏a͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏l͏͏͏͏y͏͏͏͏, c͏͏͏͏l͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏k͏͏͏͏ a͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏d͏͏͏͏ f͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏l͏͏͏͏l͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏w͏͏͏͏ t͏͏͏͏h͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏ i͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏s͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏u͏͏͏͏c͏͏͏͏t͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏s͏͏͏͏ f͏͏͏͏r͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏m͏͏͏͏ t͏͏͏͏h͏͏͏͏e͏͏͏͏ f͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏l͏͏͏͏l͏͏͏͏o͏͏͏͏w͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏g͏͏͏͏ l͏͏͏͏i͏͏͏͏n͏͏͏͏k͏͏͏͏: https://amazon-security-review.lnk.to/fILlLlP3
phishing scam text
a new text message
This text was sent today 7/16/2022.
It was sent from the following email address:
Usa’amazon-service.0033@wzzwt.com
We’ve detected unusual transaction activity on your Amazon‌.‌com account, and your account is locked for security reasons.
Please secure and verify your account information immediately.
Click and follow the link below: https://account-amazon.lnk.to/update
Regards,
Amazon Service
Why I think it’s a phishing scam
I think it’s a phishing scam because of the nature of the text message(s) and the sender is from an email address.
The text has an extra text bubble so that seems like the text was sent without text prior to the text being sent.
The odd thing is that Amazon usually doesn’t text you (that I know of). The long nonsense email address seemed a bit weird as well.
you would think Amazon would send something from their brand email address or AWS account.
tips to stay safe
Here are a few tips to stay safe if you have a text like this one.
- Never click or follow links in the text.
- Never provide any account information or financial information.
- Always contact the brand directly.
you can always call/email/live chat brands or even message via social media to find out if the info stated in the text is true. - Check your account. If your account is deactivated or suspended many websites will give you a notification when you try to log in.
added security
You can always set up added security measures as well for your online accounts. One that comes to mind is two-factor authorization.
This means when you log in you can be texted/called or emailed a code that you enter to confirm you are you. Each website has different Two-factor options so you can research that more on your own.
You can report these texts
You can report these texts to Amazon directly. You can also report them to your cell service provider as well.
Check out Amazon’s support page for more info.
I reported this text info via Amazon’s support page.
Let’s get this info out and help prevent phishing attacks.
