Scammers love impersonating Amazon. Just last month, the company alerted Prime members to an email phishing campaign involving (fake) subscription renewals, and customers have been targeted by similar messages related to various account issues as well as mystery packages containing “free” stuff that turn out to be brushing scams.
According to a new warning from the Federal Trade Commission, bad actors are at it again with a new phishing scheme that offers (fake) refunds on recalled purchases.
How the Amazon refund text scam works
As the FTC notice describes, the current scam starts with a text sent to potential targets impersonating Amazon. The message states that through a “routine quality inspection,” the company determined that your recent purchase doesn’t meet standards or has been recalled. You can get your money back without needing to return the item, but you have to click the included link and provide some information to request a refund.
This is a malicious link that leads to a phishing website, and instead of receiving a refund, you’re handing your personal and/or financial information over to the scammers if you click through and apply.
How to spot the Amazon text scam
Like many scams, this one isn’t all that sophisticated, but the promise of an easy refund may be enough to convince some recipients to act without thinking. Common red flags include poorly written text with odd formatting, urgent calls to action, and senders with foreign numbers or email addresses. As a general rule, you should never click links received via text—or in unsolicited emails or social media messages, for that matter. These are popular vectors for phishing. Also, never respond directly, as doing so may invite further targeting from scammers.
If you’re concerned about something you bought on Amazon, log into your account by going directly to the website or app and review your order history. You can also verify which messages are legitimately from Amazon via Accounts & Lists > Account > Your Messages.
If you do receive an unwanted text you believe is a scam, you can forward it to 7726 (SPAM) and report it as junk through your phone’s message app. Then delete it.
