By Jabari Cook 
Division of Consumer & Business Education, FTC 

Scammers love to use the same old tricks in new ways. One of their favorites is to pose as a business or government official to pressure you into sending them money or personal information. Now, some scammers are pretending to be popular online shopping websites, phishing for your personal information.

For example, you get a call from someone who claims to be with “Amazon.com.” (Spoiler alert: they’re not really from Amazon.) The voice on the phone will say that your credit card has been charged a large amount of money for some order. Then, they’ll give you the “Amazon Support” phone number and tell you to immediately call if you didn’t make that purchase. 

If this seems suspicious, that’s because it is. Scammers want you to call the number they give so they can ask for your passwords, credit card number and other sensitive information to get your money. If you get a call like this, there are a few steps you should take: 

• Hang up. Don’t call them back on the number they gave you. If you’re concerned about an order you didn’t place, contact the business through a customer service phone number or email you know is legitimate. You can usually find a company’s real information on their website.

• Check your credit card account. If you see a charge you don’t recognize, file a dispute with your credit card company immediately. 

• Report the fake call to the business. Make sure to use the contact information from their website — not the information from the phone call. You can also report the call to the FTC.

If you gave information to a business impostor, head to IdentityTheft.gov for tips to protect yourself. To learn more about impostor scams, visit the FTC’s Impostor Scams page (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0037-imposter-scams).

Similar Posts

  • Don’t be scammed

    By Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has issued a consumer alert warning California businesses to be aware of phishing scams that target the workplace and can lead to data breaches and loss of funds. The scam is commonly called “brand spoofing” or “phishing” because the spam mail sent uses familiar or legitimate-sounding names of companies to…

  • |

    The bottom-line of fake check scams

    By Reading Time: 2 minutes

    By Colleen Tressler Consumer Education Specialist, FTC If someone you don’t know sends you a check and asks for money back, that’s a scam. Fake checks (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-fake-check-scams) drive many types of scams — like those involving phony job and income opportunities, online classified ad sales and others. In a fake check scam, a person you…

  • |

    Scams

    By Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Social Security Administration scams are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission says SSA telephone shakedowns specifically targeting senior citizens now surpass phony IRS calls, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens. Scammers are calling, pretending to be from the SSA and saying that your Social Security number has been suspended because of suspicious…

  • |

    Scams against older adults: reporting to Congress

    ByIdyllwild Town Crier Reading Time: 2 minutes

    By Lois Greisman Federal Trade Commission, Elder Justice Coordinator You might have read media stories about older people losing lots of money to scams. It does happen — and FTC data show that when people over 80 report losing money, the amount they lose is a lot higher than the amount younger people lose. But…

  • |

    Voter scam: Response to complaints from voters

    By Reading Time: 1 minute

    County elections officials and the California Secretary of State’s office have received more than 100 complaints from voters who have received letters from a group called the Voter Participation Center. The organization’s letters claim that the voter is not registered to vote and offers a pre-filled voter registration form with incorrect or outdated information, or…