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Shopping on Amazon

Shopping on Amazon

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Tips for Staying Safe on Amazon.com 

If you buy something on Amazon.com,* you’re not necessarily buying directly from Amazon.com. 
 
What You Should Know:
  • In addition to selling your products from its store, the retail giant also connects buyers to a wide array of third-party sellers. 
  • Many, if not most, are likely legitimate sellers, but beware that scammers are lurking in the marketplace.
  • The scammer will try to get you to make your purchase outside of the normal Amazon.com process.
What You Should Do:
  • Only pay for items you are considering through Amazon.com on the Amazon.com website.
  • Read reviews. If a seller has tried to scam someone, chances are good its reviews will reflect that.
  • If you run into trouble with a third-party seller on Amazon.com, make use of the Amazon A-to-Z Guarantee, which guarantees purchases from third-party sellers when payment is made on the Amazon.com website. 

Amazon Scams

Like Apple scams, fraudsters will call and email impersonating Amazon in an attempt to collect their credentials and PII.

Fake Phone Calls:

SCAM: You may receive a call from an automated voice recording alerting you that a large purchase was made on your Amazon account. To resolve this matter, you are asked to dial “1” to be connected to Amazon technical support. Once connected, the fraudster will ask you for your name, phone number, credit card information, passwords, etc. 
WHAT TO DO:  Do not provide any account information.  Amazon will never call you unless you have initiated contact first or ask for your passwords and credit card information.

Fake Amazon Emails:

SCAM: Amazon generally contacts customers via email. Fraudsters attempt to trick students by sending out phishing emails imitating Amazon support. These emails will claim there was a billing problem or a suspicious login on your account.
WHAT TO DO: Click “Reply” to reveal the real sender's email address. Do not click the links provided in the email or download the document files – this is their way to phish you or remote control your device.




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