Scams and Fraud Tips to Avoid an Amazon Imposter Scam 11/9/2022 | By Annie Tobey Don’t be scammed by an Amazon imposter! Instead, use these tips to spot pretenders who want to cheat you out of your money. Year-round, and especially during the holidays, many rely on Amazon for shopping needs. In fact, if you’re a frequent buyer or product subscriber, you may forget what shipments are coming your way. So if you get an email, phone call, or text message communication that looks like it’s from Amazon, it’s easy to assume it’s legit. But beware of Amazon imposters! 11 tips to avoid getting scammed by an Amazon imposter Forged email addresses can make it look like the email is coming from Amazon.com, so always be on guard.Spelling and grammar errors nearly always signal a scam.Fraudulent emails, text messages, or webpages from an Amazon imposter may contain links to websites that look like Amazon but aren’t. Legitimate Amazon websites have a dot before “amazon.com,” like http://something.amazon.com (such as https://pay.amazon.com/). Legitimate links don’t use an IP address (string of numbers), such as http://123.456.789.123/amazon.com/.Never share personal information (username, Social Security Number, etc.) in response to an incoming message.Beware of remote access. “We never request remote access to your device by installing software,” says Amazon.Never update payment information directly in response to an incoming message. Instead, go to your orders on Amazon. If you aren’t prompted to update your payment method on that screen, the message isn’t from Amazon.Don’t open attachments, call phone numbers, or click links from suspicious messages.If incoming communication is about an order, go directly to your orders on the Amazon website to see if there is an order that matches the correspondence.To be safe, use any incoming communications as a reason to check your Amazon account directly.Amazon requests that consumers report suspicious communications immediately.To increase the security of your account, Amazon recommends enabling Two-Step Verification. BEST PRACTICE:Never respond directly to any incoming message (from a possible Amazon imposter or any other organization). Instead, follow up on any claims of refunds or problems by going directly to a website or calling a phone number on a trusted statement or bill. For more information, visit the Amazon security and privacy web page. Read More Annie Tobey Annie Tobey has been a professional writer and editor for more than 30 years. As editor of BOOMER magazine, she explored a diversity of topics of particular interest to adult children of seniors. When she’s not writing, she can be found running the trails or enjoying a beer with friends.