Report Fraud warns of phone calls from criminals posing as Amazon staff
Callers claim to have spotted suspicious activity on an Amazon account, and victims lost £86,837 across 110 reports between 5 and 14 October.
Report Fraud, the national reporting service run by City of London Police, issued an alert on Friday about unsolicited calls from criminals who claim to work for Amazon. It received 110 reports of this kind between 5 and 14 October, with £86,837 taken from victims over that period.
The call follows a set pattern. The caller says there is suspicious activity on the person's Amazon account, that unauthorised items have appeared in the basket, and that someone is trying to pay for them with the person's bank details.
From there the aim is access or money. People are pushed to share their screen, to download remote access or money transfer software, or to send a passport or driving licence for "verification". Some are told gift cards have been added to the basket and are then talked into authorising payments to accounts the criminals control.
What to do if the phone rings
Hang up, then contact the company through its official website or app. Dialling 159 connects to your bank. Report Fraud says genuine providers, banks and police will never call asking you to transfer money or hand over control of a device.
A suspicious call can be reported by texting 7726 with the word "Call" followed by the caller's number. Anyone who has lost money can contact Report Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
