Phishing scam targets Amazon shoppers

Published:
MGN

FORT MYERS, Fla. — A phony email that looks like it’s from Amazon is defrauding many holiday shoppers, according to the AARP.

The fraudulent email has the subject line “Your Amazon.com order cannot be shipped” and claims there is a problem with processing your order. It asks recipients to click on a link that leads to an authentic-looking Amazon web page.

That page asks for a name, address and credit card information. Clicking on a “save and continue” button sends the data to a cyber thief and takes shoppers to Amazon’s actual website, unaware their identity has just been stolen.

To avoid from becoming a victim, follow these safety tips from AARP:

• Don’t click on an embedded link located in an email that appears to come from Amazon. Instead, go to www.amazon.com and check “your orders” to see if the details in the email match the order information. If they don’t match, the message is a scam.
• If the “from” line in the email contains an internet service provider other than @amazon.com, the email is not from Amazon.
• Before clicking on anything, hover over the link and view the whole link address. Amazon only hosts payments on these sites: https://payments.amazon.com, https://resolutioncenter.payments.amazon.com, and https://authorize.payments.amazon.com.

For additional information about this scam and what to look for, visit Amazon’s help/support page.

Fraudulent e-mails can forwarded to stop-spoofing@amazon.com. Shoppers can also contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fraud Line at 258-3292 or fraudline@sheriffleefl.org.

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