Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to trick Amazon customers into believing their accounts have been hacked.
Consumer advocacy group Which? revealed there has been a surge in crimes where scammers posing as Amazon representatives tell people that expensive items, such as the latest iPhone or gift cards, have been added to their shopping baskets.
The calls often start with the scammer using the victim’s full name and background noise mimicking busy call centres, creating a facade of legitimacy.
When victims log into their accounts, many find that high-value items have indeed appeared in their baskets.
Attempts to remove these items often fail because the scammers have already taken control of the account, allowing them to re-add the items at will.
This can convince people that the scammers are genuine, prompting victims to comply with further instructions, such as granting remote access to their devices or transferring money under the false premise that their bank accounts are also at risk.
The tactics vary depending on how secure the victim’s Amazon account is.
Those without two-factor authentication (2FA) are particularly vulnerable because scammers just need a username and password.
These details can be obtained through data breaches, phishing attacks, or ‘dictionary attacks’ where common passwords are guessed.
This is harder to do with accounts secured with 2FA as they require a one-time passcode sent via text or email.
However, scammers may hack into victims’ emails to capture these codes or trick individuals into sharing them.
Victims have reported being pressured into downloading remote access apps such as AnyDesk or Zoho Assist.
Once in control, the scammers can access other accounts, including banking apps, which can lead to further losses.
One victim, Zoe, nearly had an entire month’s salary stolen after receiving an unsolicited call.
Speaking to Which?, she said: ‘Once I said I wasn’t comfortable transferring all my money to a ‘safe account’ the scammer became a little bit angry and abusive.
‘By this point, three scammers were involved, all passing me around on the phone, saying they were doing different things while the line went silent.
‘I hung up and was pestered by calls from different numbers all morning.’
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She described the scammers as clever, manipulating her into believing that a fraudster in California was behind the scheme while presenting fake IP addresses and falsely claiming to be in touch with her bank.
It was only at the last moment that she realised something was wrong.
To avoid falling victim to these scams, people are urged to end any unsolicited calls and contact the company through official channels.
In Amazon’s case, this means using the ‘Customer Services’ section on their website or app.
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