Amazon holiday scams are expected to become more active as consumers try to purchase gifts for the upcoming Christmas and to prepare for New Year celebrations.
In this photograph taken on November 18, 2020, in Lille, a person poses with a smartphone showing an Amazon logo, in front of a computer screen displaying the home page of Amazon France's sales website.
While shoppers are busy checking the items they'll check on Amazon, scammers and other fraudsters are becoming more creative. If you are using the online marketplace of Amazon to shop for gifts, here are the most common scams you could encounter this holiday season.
Amazon Holiday Shopping Scams 2023
PC World listed some of the most common Amazon shopping scams that consumers can encounter this December. These include the following:
Amazon Support Scam
Scammers will pretend to be Amazon customer support representatives to steal sensitive information from consumers, especially their bank details.
How to avoid: Before giving your personal details, check the number where the self-proclaimed Amazon support staff is calling from or tell them you'll get back to them and call the official contact number or email address of the Amazon support department.
Hijacked Amazon Seller Accounts
Some scammers will hijack/hack seller accounts and use them to fool victims into purchasing items that are either non-existent or fake.
How to avoid: Before ordering any item from a suspicious Amazon seller, always check their offered prices and compare them to the prices of other merchants. You can also check the reviews and research the merchant's name on Facebook to see if other people were scammed.
Amazon Phishing
Phishing is one of the oldest tricks in the book. However, this technique is also proven to be effective in fooling victims. Phishing usually comes in the form of an email message; with unknown attachments and links that can install malicious malware to steal your information.
How to avoid: Always check the email address that the sender is using. Check for incorrect spellings and if the email address has lots of letters, numbers, and symbols. In case you open the message, never click the attachment or link right away. Instead, call or email the official contact number or email address of Amazon.
Read Also: Younger Americans More at Risk of Holiday Scams: Here's What Teens Can Do
Safe Amazon Holiday Shopping Tips
Amazon signage is displayed outside of an Amazon.com Inc. delivery hub in the late evening of Amazon Prime Day, July 12, 2022, in Culver City, California. - What started as a one-day-only event for shopping deals in 2015 has since morphed into a 48-hour event for Amazon Prime members.
Amazon's official website provides six safe holiday shopping tips that consumers can follow, such as the following:
- Always avoid sellers who pressure you to buy or self-proclaimed Amazon customer reps who urge you to give information right away.
- Never be pressured to buy Amazon gift cards.
- Always check what other shoppers say about certain merchants on the Amazon marketplace.
- Always remember that Amazon will only ask for payment via its mobile app, website, or physical stores.
- If you are suspicious regarding an Amazon seller, an email claiming to be from Amazon, or a call, contact Amazon via its official customer service.
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