7TH SEP 2023
Amazon gift card scams continue to top the list of fraud payment options, considering how easily they are used to fool consumers.
What would you do if you received an urgent email from your best friend asking you to purchase a $300 gift card for their niece’s birthday? We bet you’d be a little confused.
Why would they ask you to purchase the card and not do it themselves? The email address you got the message from seems legit though. So you come up with an excuse in your head, purchase the gift card, and email the code to your friend. You make a mental note to meet them soon.
A week later, you catch up over coffee and are shocked to learn your friend never sent an email about that gift card in the first place!
Turns out your friend’s email address was hacked and you just lost $300 to an Amazon gift card scam artist.
Sounds unreal? Bonnie Calhoun from Pennsylvania went through the exact same thing. This sort of thing can happen to anyone, unless they can identify the warning signs.
We don’t have to tell you that Amazon is immensely popular. It’s super easy to use, hosts a plethora of products and tempts every shopper with reliable and fast shipping. While all this makes the e-commerce platform a shopper’s haven, it also makes it an easy favorite for cybercriminals, gift card scammers, and identity thieves.
Scammers have also targeted Apple, Microsoft, Google and Walmart, but Amazon gift card scams remain the most prevalent.
Here’s how one of the most common Amazon gift card scams happens:
Here are seven warning signs you need to look out for.
Guess what? About 1 in 3 people targeted by gift card fraud say that the impersonator pretended to be from Amazon.
Victims recall getting a phone call, text message or email from alleged Amazon representatives. In one version, these scammers say they are from Amazon’s fraud department and need your information to “fix” the situation.
These scammers then ask for payment via gift cards.
Remember: Amazon will always put your order on hold if it suspects fraud. They will then contact you.
Never give out your Amazon gift card code and PIN over the phone or email.
Sign in to your Amazon.com account. Make sure you enter the correct URL.
Check your recent transactions.
Review your gift card purchase history.
As a precaution, go to Account & Lists > Secure Your Account > Sign-out everything.
You get a message from your friend on social media, asking you to purchase a gift card or two from Amazon. To help sell you on the deception, they may say their bank isn’t playing nice or that a mutual friend’s birthday is coming up. They promise they will pay you back when you meet.
Before you accept an emotional request like that, consider this: about 1.4 billion social media accounts are hacked monthly. That “friend in need” may be another social media con artist trying to pull a fast one on you.
If they say it is super urgent, try contacting them on another platform. For example, ask them to hop on a quick Facetime or Zoom session to verify their identity.
Most of these scams originate from social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp. These scammers normally rely on the YouTube gift card scam to make an emotional appeal, often via phishing links, surveys, and even Google Play gift cards to secure their funds.
Do not click on links YouTubers, Twitch creators, Instagram celebs, or TikTokers give out to “fund” their ventures unless you are pretty sure of their legitimacy. These can be phishing or malware links in disguise.
Imagine the IRS asking you for payment in Amazon or Walmart gift cards. These are legit government agencies we’re talking about here, right?
This idea seems ludicrous at first thought. And yet, government imposter scams are at an all-time high. You get calls from 'government agencies' claiming that you owe unpaid taxes or fines. In extreme cases, scammers claiming to be from the FBI say you are linked to a serious crime. Talk about dramatic.
Do not trust caller IDs. They can be spoofed to show a government agency’s real phone number or name.
A government agency or local utility company will never call, text, or email you to ask for money or personal information. And especially not for gift card payments.
Only respond to legitimate utility bills or government subpoenas as applicable.
People meet online and then keep chatting, never to meet in real life. Believe it or not, it happens.
A recent study revealed that around 60% of Americans feel lonely with alarming regularity. Most flock to dating sites in search of a partner. Capitalizing on this trend, social engineers work on building a connection with their targets, often posing as military personnel on tour or freelancers working in some remote corner of the world. Once their targets are hooked, they move on to request money. They even ask for common gift cards since sending money isn’t always easy.
Decline any financial or personal requests, especially from someone you haven’t met.
What’s that? A free gift card from Amazon? Well, not so fast.
These fake gift card emails usually contain phishing or malware links. A phishing link can redirect you to a suspicious website, whereas malware can steal your precious passwords and bank information. Before you say Bob’s your uncle; identity thieves may have emptied your bank accounts.
Remember: If it’s too good to be true, it usually is!
Do not click on any links in the email.
Mark these emails as spam.
Delete these phishing emails in case your email client doesn’t.
Experienced con artists can use overpayment scams to trap you into refunding excess money. This type of scam usually happens if you are a seller on an online platform.
The scammer tricks you into thinking they paid too much for your item and demands to be reimbursed with a gift card balance.
Nobody “accidentally” overpays you. Why should you?
Don’t pay them back via gift cards.
When in doubt, ask them to give you an official chargeback instead.
We hope that this guide helps you be on your guard against gift card scams. As a good rule of thumb, assume that any request for an Amazon gift card may be a scam in disguise. If you have fallen victim to it, it is best to report the scam to the local authorities and Amazon.
