Don’t be Fooled, Central Texas – Amazon Scams are up 500%

Scammers gonna scam. It's the world we live in, even here in Temple, Texas, but there are some signs to keep an eye out for that can help you not be the victim.

Just recently my wife received an email from Amazon saying that the $1,300 TV we purchased was ready to ship. "Just click here to verify your address," the message read. My wife immediately called me to see if I had ordered a TV. I said no that it was probably some kind of scam, which it totally was.

Knowledge is Power

Online scammers work hard to fool their victims with realistic emails hoping to fool you into clicking on a link that can give them access to personal information like usernames, passwords, and even banking information.

After looking at the email, I was surprised at how authentic it looked. I knew we hadn't ordered a TV, but I could imagine how somebody who would have received this same email would have clicked on the link to see what it was all about before realizing it was a scam. By then it would have been too late - scammer wins.

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Surfing through the internet news, I saw this article about Amazon scams on the rise from the NY Post and thought I'd share.

The article mentions three simple checks you should take before clicking on a link in an email that you may feel is suspicious.

First

Look for spelling and grammatical errors. Sentences that may seem poorly worded can be a dead giveaway. Misspelled words are almost always a sure sign that the email is coming from an untrusted source.

Second

If the email is asking you to "click here" to verify shipping or payment, DON"T DO IT - plain and simple. Just delete the email immediately. Scammers are hoping you'll click these links in order to get the information they are looking for.

Third

Make sure you check the sender's full email address. Making sure it's from a verified Amazon account can save you a lot of problems. In the US, Amazon uses @amazon.com in the email address. If the email doesn't close with that, don't trust it.

Those are three simple things to keep an eye out for when receiving an email you may feel is suspicious.

One to Grow On

Another good rule of thumb is if it seems suspicious, it probably is. Scammers are preying upon your curiosity and lack of knowledge when it comes to these types of scams.

The Federal Trade Commission says that since June of 2020, Amazon scams are up 500%. With many people utilizing online services more and more since the start of the pandemic, scammers are hoping you'll be the one to make a mistake, and if you do, the results could be devastating.