Residents warned as Amazon scam steals £86,837 from UK victims in nine days

ACTION Fraud has warned about an increasingly-used Amazon scam, which saw criminals steal nearly £90,000 from UK residents in only nine days.

Criminals are impersonating Amazon and contacting customers out of the blue claiming suspicious activity has occurred on their account.

New data shows between October 5 and 14, criminals stole £86,837 from victims, a daily average of over £9,600 while pretending to be Amazon representatives.

Within the nine day period, Report Fraud received 110 reports where Amazon impersonation had been identified, with people aged between 50 and 79 most impacted, accounting for 60 per cent of reports.

Criminals claim that unauthorised items have been added to the victim’s Amazon basket. To make the fraud appear genuine, they provide delivery addresses that do not belong to the victim and claim someone is attempting to purchase the items using the victim’s bank details.

The criminal then tells the victim that transactions can be stopped and their account secured, but only if they follow specific instructions.

Victims are asked to share their computer or mobile screen through messaging platforms as part of a “resolution process” and download money transfer apps, which criminals will use to move money into accounts they control.

Victims are told to provide documents like a passport or driving license for "verification", and this allows the criminals to facilitate the fraud.

Another method for scammers is to tell victims that gift cards have been added to their Amazon basket without permission.

They then claim urgent action is needed to stop the purchases and trick victims into authorising payments, which are instead sent to accounts under the scammer’s control.

Genuine service providers, banks and police will never call asking you to transfer money, share personal financial details or hand over remote control of your computer, phone or other device.

Action Fraud says that if you’ve received a call that doesn’t feel right, simply hang up. You can check if it’s genuine by contacting the organisation directly using details you know are correct, such as those on an official website.

It’s important to remember that caller ID’s which appear on your phone are not evidence of identity.

If you receive such a call, report it by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘Call’ followed by the scam caller’s number.

If you believe you are a victim of fraud, you should tell Report Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

More tips for avoiding Amazon scams can be found via the Amazon News website.