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Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 11:56 am
I had an interesting phone call today. According to a robot voice, I was going to be charged $300 USD for an Amazon gift card. Of course, I knew it was a scam. I let the robot voice finish its spiel before hanging up.
This scam isn’t new
There have been a number of Amazon scams going around. I’ve had another phone call similar to this one a few weeks before.
Here’s an Instagram post I shared about the previous call.
That call claimed I was going to be charged $350 for an iPhone 12 and that if I needed to approve or decline the charge to press 1 to speak to a representative.
The FTC has also noted these types of scams are on the rise. Visit a consumer info post to see more or hear a clip of a recorded call.
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/12/fake-calls-apple-and-amazon-support-what-you-need-know
The gift card scam
Now, this again isn’t a new scam. The scammers call from various numbers hoping that someone will connect to a rep. Or in this case press 1 or whatever number they request.
Remember don’t press any numbers when requested. You never know where your call will be routed to.
Again I let the silly robot go through the entire message and hung up. I knew it was a scam because as far as I know, Amazon doesn’t call from local numbers or out-of-state numbers.
774-806-0342
This call happened to be from Massachusetts. I live on the opposite coast and Yes I know I shouldn’t answer unknown numbers but I did anyway.
I will admit this scam was a bit ambitious because it was quoting I was going to be charged $300 for an Amazon gift card. So that would startle anyone I think.
What you can do
If you receive one of these calls you do the following:
Check your Amazon account for fraudulent charges. Also, check your banking or credit info as well.
You can also submit a complaint to the FTC (if you see it’s needed)
If you have a fake email or phishing email you can submit that directly to Amazon by using the following email address.
So just get the word out and let your loved ones know about this scam.
