HOUSTON – Buyer beware: According to global cyber security company Trend Micro, Texas is at the top of the list for Amazon Prime Day scam victims.
“It’s getting more and more popular,” said David Abramowitz, Regional Technical Director for Trend Micro. “We’re seeing about a 14 and a half percent increase year over year from last year, the same time with Amazon.”
“One of the ways is there’s simply an SMS text message that scammers are using, so they will say, ‘We’ve got something that’s not quite right with your account details. We’re going to need you to log in,’” Abramowitz said.
The fake link isn’t connected to Amazon at all. Abramowitz also warns shoppers to be on the lookout for e-mails that seem too good to be true.
“They may use things like, ‘$100 Amazon gift card,’ who doesn’t want that right?” Abramowitz said.
He adds that, in some cases, impersonators offer special discounts but when you go to buy the goods, you’re directed to a fake shopping site prompting you to give up valuable information.
The items you think you ordered never come. Instead, you may receive fraudulent charges to your debit or credit cards.
We met an Amazon shopper named Selena Balmaceda at an outdoor Amazon locker where she was picking up packages.
“I go through the app, ‘cause websites, no,” Balmaceda said.
Balmaceda is on the right track, but Abramowitz said there are ways to make sure the website or e-mail address is legit.
“Usually, when you roll your mouse over there, it’ll show you the email address. Nine times out of 10, it’s some made-up G Mail that has nothing to do with Amazon,” Abramowitz said.
The same can be said for fake links.
“They’ll work the same way. You’ll roll your mouse over it, show you where it’s actually going,” he added.
Also, check for grammatical errors as red flags when making a purchase. If you feel you’ve been cyber scammed, click Reporting Cyber Crime is as Easy as IC3 - FBI to report it.
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