In this day and age, almost everyone we know has an Amazon account. In fact, a study done last year showed that over 80% of Americans have an Amazon Prime account. With as many of us who are on Amazon these days, it should come to no one's surprise that scammers are trying to use that to their advantage.

I personally have had scammers try to pull this one off on me in recent weeks, as have some of my family members, so this one is definitely making the rounds. The threat is out there, but as long as you are paying attention to the red flags, you should be safe from this latest hustle. According to the South Dakota Better Business Bureau, here's how this scam works:

You answer the phone, and it is a recorded message claiming to be from Amazon stating there is a problem with your Amazon account. The message ranges from a fraudulent charge on your Prime card to a lost or damaged package to an unfulfilled order for an iPhone 10.  But no matter what the recording is, these scammers have the same goal: getting your personal information.

 

SD BBB

That's the scam, now what can you do to protect yourself?

  • Be wary of out of the blue calls
  • Don't give out personal information on the phone. Amazon wouldn't ask you for this.
  • Ignore any calls asking for immediate action
  • Report any suspicious activity to Amazon

For more information on this and other scams in the Sioux Empire, visit the South Dakota Better Business Bureau website. 

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