Amazon scam warning from trading standards
According to Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards department, a North Oxford resident said she received a call and when she picked up an automatic message said: “You have been charged £89 for your Amazon shopping.”
“If this is true, please dial 1, to speak to an operator. If you put the phone down, you will be charged £89 and the goods will be delivered.”
She said she hung up as it was ‘clearly a scam’ but she wanted to warn others not to fall for it.
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The scammers are also sending emails that look real from Amazon with the same information and you are told to click on the link.
The advice is to delete the email, don’t click on the link.
A scam ‘victim’
In January, Rachel Mallows, from Bicester said she received a call from someone pretending to be from Amazon seeking to steal her account details.
She shared her experience on the Bicester Chat Facebook group.
She said at the time: “I received a call from a Portuguese number, however the man sounded South Asian. He said he was from Amazon and that my account had been compromised and an iPhone purchased with it.
“He asked if I wished to cancel this order. I said ‘yes’ and so he said he would send me a one time password by text. Instantly a text from Amazon arrived on my phone with a code. He then asked me to read it out to him.”
Rachel then asked the man to first confirm her name, but he refused claiming that it was a security risk and that the call might be being recorded.
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She added: “So I asked him again, and again. I may have even sang a few lines from Destiny Child’s ‘Say My Name’. Now I know that my singing isn’t good, but he started swearing at me and put the phone down on me.
“So if you get a call like this, it is a scam. The text from Amazon is genuine, but it is the scammers trying to log into your account and requesting a password reset.
“Then when you give them the code in the text, they steal your account.”
She warned: “Never give anyone your information over the phone. And if you are concerned, I can always sing to them.”
People commented saying the same thing had happened to them.
Joe Goodgame said: “I had the same call this morning but from a number in Maidenhead.”
The £9 billion cost of scams
Consumers lose approximately £9 billion to scams each year.
The trading standards team is asking people to help them tackle scams in Oxfordshire by getting to know the common signs, warning others, and reporting incidents so they can investigate.
If you have been a victim of a scam or know someone who has and would like advice, contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133, or call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to report a scam.
Friends Against Scams is a National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team initiative, which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering communities to “Take a Stand Against Scams”.
Scams happen every day
Scams are more common than most people realise.
Every day the council’s Trading Standards Team hears from people who have lost money to a scam artist.
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Some scams are one-offs that persuade you to part with a lump sum, while others go after your personal details so they can access your money or copy your identity.
Cold calls, high-pressure sales tactics and automated voicemails asking for people’s details are just some of the tricks scammers are using to rob you of your hard earned money.
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Trading standards officers are advising residents on how best to fight back
- Say No. To unwanted, uninvited callers.
- Be wise to rogue traders. Too good to be true offers probably are.
- Don’t feel pressured to make a decision. Say ‘No’, or say you need advice first.
- Be wise to postal scams. No legal company will ask you for money to claim a prize.
- Keep personal details safe. They could be used fraudulently in the wrong hands.
- Research the credentials of the company. Be certain they’re not bogus.
- Be online savvy. Check who you’re communicating with online.
- Talk to someone you trust. If you’re suspicious.
- Report a scam. Help expose the criminals.
- Know you are not alone. Anyone can be a victim, report it and get the right support.
For more information visit oxfordshire.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/advice-communities/scams.
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