An automated scam call is impersonating Amazon Prime, telling victims their subscription will be ‘renewed’ for £39.99. Here’s what you need to watch out for.
We’ve been made aware of an automated scam phone call designed to trick Amazon Prime customers into connecting with a fraudulent ‘account manager’.
It’s similar in tactics to the ‘Visa fraud department‘ call, which also instructs victims to ‘press 1’ to be connected.
From here, it’s highly likely scammers will attempt to extort bank details and/or personal data from you.
Update: 19/11/2020
More than a year since we first published this warning, and despite our efforts so far to see action taken, we know that the Amazon Prime scam call is still happening.
We’re also aware that the call is continuing in the run up to Black Friday (27 November), therefore we’re renewing our call on Which? Conversation to be wary as scammers look to take advantage.
Which? recently published further evidence of similar remote access scams that have the potential to wipe out a victim’s life savings, including Amazon Prime impersonators who stole £6,900 from a woman in her 60s.
We’re now calling on the government to introduce legislation to ensure a new statutory code of practice can be created, which would include clear standards and protections for victims.
Update: 18/03/2020
Thank you to the 17,000+ people who filled out our survey on this dangerous Amazon Prime scam call – the data we’ve collected will be vital in taking action against it.
What’s next? We’ll now be taking your responses to the phone companies and Amazon itself to demonstrate just how widespread this scam call is, and how it’s impacting on people’s lives.
We’ll then work with them to implement appropriate action, including warnings, potential call-blocking and reporting these calls to the relevant authorities.
This page will be updated as soon as we have more information. Thank you for your support.
Update: 13/02/2020
This Amazon Prime scam call has been frequently posing a threat to the public for too long. We want to see action taken against it from the phone providers and Amazon.
You can help us stamp this out by answering the following questions:
The Which? Amazon Prime scam call survey is now closed
We’ll then use your responses to prove just how widespread this problem is and which providers are the most affected.
Amazon Prime scam: what to expect (16/10/2019)
To find out exactly what you need to watch out for, I spoke with Craig, a member of the public who received the call on his landline earlier this month.
He was told by an automated voice that this was a ‘reminder’, and that his Prime account was being renewed at a cost of £39.99.
It went on to tell him that he should ‘press 1’ to speak with an ‘account manager’.
Craig is indeed an Amazon Prime customer, however he’s never associated his home number with his Prime account. This would suggest that the scam is targeting members of the public at random, rather than Prime customers directly.
How to deal with phone scams
If you’ve received this call, hang up immediately. Amazon will never contact you in this way, and the call being completely unsolicited should also set off alarm bells.
You can read our full guide to phone scams here, and also report this scam to Action Fraud using its online reporting tool.
If you do think you may have given sensitive information to scammers, contact your bank straight away and let them know what’s happened.
You can also find out everything you need to know about getting your money back after a scam in our guide.
I made Amazon aware of this scam call after speaking with Craig. An Amazon spokesperson told me:
“We take phishing and spoofing attempts on our customers seriously, and will never call a customer for payment outside of our website. If a customer has concerns or receives a call they believe is not from Amazon, they can check the Amazon.co.uk help pages for guidance”
Have you received this Amazon Prime scam call? If so, did you think it was genuine?
Whether you’re an Amazon Prime customer or not, do help us get the word out by warning friends and family about these calls, and let us know if you’ve received anything similar in the comments below.
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