If You See This Email From Amazon, Do Not Click
by Brendan Kelly
Amazon, one of the most commonly used sites for online shopping, is now a major scam target. Scammers are using the immensely popular site as a way to gain access to users' personal information. Fortunately, it's easy to tell if an email is from Amazon or from a scammer.
Scammers have been sending out convincing emails that look like they're from Amazon to gather sensitive information from the site's customers, according to SimpleMost.
The emails are typically sent with a subject line that reads something such as, "Your Amazon.com order cannot be shipped."
According to Inc., the email will read, "Hello, there was a problem processing your order. You will not be able to access your account or place orders with us until we confirm your information. Click here to confirm your account."
The link in the email takes users to a site that looks like Amazon, but really is not. The page will ask for personal information such as your name, address and credit card information, which the scammers will then use as they please.
Keep your information safe by carefully checking any email before you click on a link.
The first thing to look for is in the address of the website linked in the email. A site that deals with sensitive information should start with "https" rather than "http."
You should also look at the end of the link address. If the domain name is not "amazon.com," or something like "amazon.co.uk" for overseas users, you should avoid clicking the link or providing any information. Most retailers will not use an alternate domain, such as "amazoncustomerservice.com." The same goes for email addresses. Make sure that an email from Amazon is sent from an address ending with "@amazon.com" instead of something like "amazoncustomerservice@gmail.com."
Amazon asks that anyone who receives a scam email to forward the email to report the scam.
"If you received an email regarding an order you didn't place, the email likely wasn't from Amazon.com," the retailer warns on its website. "Please send the email as an attachment to stop-spoofing@amazon.com."
Readers shared their thoughts on the scam on MommyPage's Facebook page.
"Bottom line, DON'T open any correspondence incoming. Delete then go into your Amazon account to check if something is wrong. Pending orders will always tell you if there's an issue," one user commented.
"If you didn't order why should you respond?" another wrote. "A dedicated Amazon consumer would not be easily scammed."
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