AMAZON shoppers are being warned about a phishing email scam which is making a comeback after catching out customers before.
Tech experts say hackers can steal account information through an invoice scam.
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The email looks like an Amazon invoice asking the recipient to verify a bogus order.
A link appears to take the victim to Amazon’s website, but is used by scammers to load up a fake site that they can use to steal your log in details.
A North Carolina woman spoke with WSOC-TV saying she received a fake invoice that claimed she ordered nearly $2,700 worth of technology equipment.
But looking closely at the email, there are some red flags including poor formatting.
The email also lists a number to call if the customer believes the order was a mistake – but the number is also not connected with Amazon and is used by cyber thieves to exploit their victims.
The automated number returns the victim’s call hours later asking for the person’s card details to prevent the order from going through.
The scammer then can use the card details to steal money from the victim’s account.
Amazon has information on their website about these false emails.
“You might receive emails from Amazon, such as Sold, Ship Now emails or Technical Notification emails. However, sometimes you might receive emails that are not really from Amazon, even if at first glance they may appear to be. Instead, such emails are falsified and attempt to convince you to reveal sensitive account information,” the website says.
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Amazon offers tips to follow if a customer feels they might be a victim of an attack.
The company said it will not ask for bank account information, credit card numbers, PIN numbers for credit card security codes via email.
They will also not ask for a mother’s maiden name or other identifiable information.
Amazon or Seller Central account passwords won’t be asked for either.
Reviewing the email for grammatical or typographical errors is also a useful tactic to check for a scam.
The company said it’s also important to never follow instructions in a questionable email, including clicking a link to unsubscribe as many hackers use that to create a list of active email addresses.
If an offer sounds too good to be true, Amazon said it likely is and to never sign into account from an embedded link in one of these emails.
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