CLEVELAND — With Amazon Prime Day on Oct. 8 and 9, we thought this was a good time or remind you of several ways that scammers will try to steal your identity, and ultimately your money.
COMMON SCAMS
We'll look at what you need to know about:
- Gift cards
- Messages claiming to be from sellers saying you've won a prize
- Supposed delivery notifications
SOURCES
We're sharing facts today from:
- Amazon
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Norton, the digital security company
- The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
SCAM INVOLVING GIFT CARDS
First, there are a lot of scammers out there that will try to get you to send them Amazon gift cards in exchange for a lie. The bottom line from Amazon itself is that "no legitimate sale or transaction will require you to pay specifically with gift cards."
So, if you're asked to do that, don't do it.
SCAM INVOLVING A CLAIM YOU'VE WON A PRIZE
Second, over Amazon Prime Day, you may see messages, pop up notifications, or texts claiming you've won a prize. The message could promise something like a huge TV or another expensive item, and it could tell you that you just have to send the shipping cost to get it.
Norton says, "Whenever you’re told that you’re the lucky winner of a prize or online giveaway, it is more often than not a scam. Because of this, always be wary of any messages or advertisements that promise free items or gift cards."
So if you get a message claiming you've won something grand and have to pay shipping to get it, it's a scam.
SCAM INVOLVING DELIVERY NOTIFICATIONS THAT INCLUDE A LINK
Now for everyone who will buy one of the hundreds of millions of items expected to be sold over October's 48-hour Prime Day event, the United States Postal Inspection Service has a warning for you.
USPIS says unsolicited messages that say you need to contact the Postal Service and include a link are a scam meant to steal your personal information. These messages will falsely say there's some sort of issue with shipping you something, and direct you to click a link to try to fix it.
Their message is simple: "If you never signed up for a USPS tracking request for a specific package, then don’t click the link!" USPS will never send you a link that you didn't ask for.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you're wondering why we're making a big deal out of this, it's because this past May, the FTC revealed Amazon was the second-most impersonated company in 2023, according to reports it received about scammers. People who fell for Amazon-related scams last year lost about $19 million.
Hopefully this information helps keep you out of that group of people for 2024.
Remember, if you see something you want us to fact check, you can send it our way at VERIFY@wkyc.com.