Black Friday is almost here. And when you’re done with your Thanksgiving leftovers, Christmas is coming. That might be an exaggeration. But what’s not is that impersonation scams are on the rise as the holiday season approaches.
With shopping in full swing, Amazon has become a particularly big target. Expect to see bad actors pretend to be trusted contacts. Attempting to access sensitive information such as Social Security numbers. Bank details or Amazon account credentials
To help you enjoy a scam-free shopping experience this holiday season, We spoke with Scott Knapp, vice president of global buyer risk protection at Amazon, to learn how scammers are impersonating the platform. What Amazon is doing to combat holiday scams. And how you can stay safe.
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Woman shopping in the Amazon app (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Nutsson)
The most common Amazon impersonation scams
Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce platform. And it’s even more relevant during the holiday season. Because many of us are on the hunt for deals. Scammers are well aware and ready to take advantage. They often use impersonation scams to trick buyers into providing their card details or other sensitive information.
“During the 2023 holiday shopping season (Black Friday through Christmas), the most common instances of fraud among Amazon customers reported involved counterfeit orders or delivery confirmations. They claim that payment is required in the United States. Reports of this scam have increased nearly 1.5 times from three weeks ago,” Knapp said.
A common impersonation scam during this time involved fake purchase notifications for popular tech products. Knapp said Amazon saw about a 13x increase in customer reports compared to three weeks earlier.
A woman shops on Amazon with her laptop. (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Nutsson)
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What is Amazon doing to keep its customers safe?
It’s clear that many scammers are trying to target Amazon customers, so I wanted to understand what the company is doing to keep them safe. I asked Knapp a bunch of questions about how the e-tail giant is staying ahead of the latest online holiday scam. And you can read his answer below.
How does Amazon work to remove phishing websites and phone numbers used to impersonate people?
“Our goal is to make sure customers are protected when they shop on Amazon. That’s why we’re starting to root out scammers with a public-private partnership to hold bad actors accountable. We have a team. – including machine learning scientists and expert auditors – who protect our merchants and consumers from fraud and other forms of abuse.
“In 2023 alone, we began removing more than 40,000 phishing websites and 10,000 phone numbers used as part of impersonation schemes. We can remove reported scam phone numbers the same day and phishing websites in just a few hours. We also cooperate with With law enforcement around the world making sure scammers are held accountable. Including referring hundreds of bad actors to the authorities.”
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Can you explain how Amazon’s email verification technology helps identify phishing attempts?
“We have made it harder for bad actors to impersonate Amazon communications through the use of industry-leading tools. This includes deploying secure email capabilities. To make it easier for customers to identify their real email address from Amazon and avoid phishing attempts, customers using Gmail, Yahoo, and other common email providers You can rest assured that when they receive an @amazon.com email with the smiley logo in their inbox, The email really came from us.”
Can you explain Amazon’s A-to-z Guarantee and how it helps protect shoppers during the holidays?
“More than 60% of sales in Amazon stores come from independent sellers. Most of which are small and medium sized businesses. They offer an amazing selection of products. Competitive price and convenience for consumers When customers shop on our Amazon store, they can do so with peace of mind knowing that we stand behind the products sold in our store with them. A-to-Z Guarantee–
“When a claim is filed, Amazon combines our advanced fraud and abuse detection systems with independent third-party insurance experts to analyze the filing. Conduct investigations for our sales partners Present accurate claims and reject claims that are baseless, frivolous, or inappropriate. By doing this work on behalf of the seller We save them from having to investigate these claims themselves. Creating this process allows customers to purchase with confidence. This will drive sales partner success.
Amazon Protection applies to physical products purchased in our stores worldwide. and in the unlikely event that the customer encounters issues with timely delivery or purchase terms. Whether you buy from Amazon or one of our approximately two million sales partners, Amazon does the work. By refunding or replacing the product. Whether during the holiday shopping season or throughout the year. Customers can confidently shop Amazon’s incredible selection with our A-to-z guarantee.”
Picture of the Amazon website (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Nutsson)
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How can Amazon customers be safe?
1. Watch out for red flags: Signs of an impersonation scam include requests for account or payment information. and creating a false sense of urgency. Amazon will never ask for your password, payment, or bank transfer via phone, email, or any third-party website. Scammers may refer to a purchase. (real or fake) giveaways, prizes, or “your account is locked” claims to encourage you to click on a link, make a payment, or purchase a gift card
2. Confirm email: If you have any questions? related to orders Please always review your order history on Amazon.com or through the “Amazon Shopping” app. Only legitimate purchases will appear in your order history. If you are unsure about the legality of an email Go to the Amazon website or app to access the message center and verify authentic communications.
You should also check the sender’s email address by hovering over the “From” name and confirm that it is a genuine Amazon email that it will come from. “@amazon.com”
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Amazon email (Kurt “Cyber Guy” Nutsson)
3. Watch out for phishing links: Avoid clicking random links. Especially in messages about shopping deals. Order confirmation or accounting problems Scammers often use fake links to impersonate legitimate retailers and steal your information.
The best way to protect yourself from malicious links is to install antivirus software on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams. To keep your personal information and digital assets safe
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4. Don’t be fooled by offers. “Too good to be true”: Scammers often lure their victims in with irresistible offers, such as deep discounts on popular products or “special” offers if the offer seems too good to be true. It might be like that. These offers may be linked to fake websites or phishing attempts designed to steal your personal and financial details. Verify the validity of any agreements. again before deciding to buy. If you are not sure Please visit Amazon’s official website or app to search for products and compare prices.
5. Use the personal information deletion service: Scammers can get your information from various online sources. Including data brokers people search site and public records Using data deletion services can help reduce your digital footprint. This makes it harder for scammers to gain access to your personal information. This proactive step can be important in preventing identity theft and reducing your chances of falling victim to scams during the busy holiday season.
Although no service promises to erase all your data from the internet. But having a data deletion service is great if you want to continuously monitor and automate the process of deleting your data from hundreds of sites over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data deletion services here.–
6. Report suspicious activity: If you encounter an impersonation scam The best course of action is to report it to Amazon. “The more consumers report scams to us, the better,” Knapp said. Our tools will better identify offenders. So that we can take action against them and protect consumers. If consumers suspect they have encountered a scam They can report suspicious communications to us at amazon.com/ReportAScam. This is so we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”
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Kurt’s Essentials
Scammers will do their best to ruin your holiday season. But most tactics can be easily circumvented with the right tools and a little common sense. Be wary of unsolicited messages, emails, or phone calls that offer offers, discounts, or ask for your personal information. If you’re shopping on Amazon, track everything through the Amazon app and contact customer support for any concerns or questions.
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