Beware sinister ‘gift card’ sign that Amazon says means you’re being targeted by dangerous bank-raiding criminal
AMAZON has warned users over a sinister sign you’re being targeted by scammers.
The retail giant said there is something it would never request – and if you’re asked for it, you’re being scammed.
Gift cards are a common way for criminals to extract cash from their victims.
Criminals will ask users to make purchases with gift cards and may, for example, sell them on for profit.
But you’ll be left having spent money on gift cards and have nothing to show for it.
“Don’t be pressured into buying a gift card,” Amazon explained.
“We will never ask you to purchase a gift card, and no legitimate sale or transaction will require you to pay with gift cards.”
Amazon added: “Do not provide any gift card details (such as the claim code) to someone you do not know or trust.
“And always take steps to verify the identity of anyone asking you to provide gift card details.”
There are countless scams that involve gift cards.
For instance, you may be offered a fake Amazon job and are asked to pay a starter fee using gift cards.
Or you could be contacted by someone posing as your boss, urgently requesting gift cards for business reasons.
OTHER WARNING SIGNS
Requests for gift cards aren’t the only sign you’re being scammed.
For instance, you might be messaged about the purchase of a product by scammers.
This could seem real, but if it claims to be from Amazon then it’s best to log in to your account via the official website or app – and not any links in the email or message.
Common Amazon gift card scams
Here's Amazon's list of common scam types involving gift cards:
- Store bought gift card package tampering
- Making payments to strangers scams
- Social Security or identity theft scams
- Fake online listings scam
- Job offer scam
- Unsolicited phone call or email claiming to be Amazon
- Boss scams
- Email, text or fake survey scams
- Tech scam
- Blackmail scam
That way you can verify whether any claimed order is genuine.
You should also stick to making payments via the website or app.
Amazon notes that it never asks for payment over the phone or email – so be wary of these requests.
Similarly, watch out for high-pressure demands from anyone claiming to be from Amazon.
“Be wary of false urgency. Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they’re asking,” Amazon explained.
Also, if you receive any strange messages seemingly from Amazon, try searching it online.
If it’s a common scam then there’s a good chance other people have reported it too.