MOLINE, Ill. — A recently-reported scam has duped two elderly residents out of thousands of dollars, according to a detective from the Moline Police Department.
The Scam
Scammers are convincing victims to purchase various store gift cards to remedy a false issue with their Amazon accounts. The scammers have no affiliation with the business, and are lying to people.
See information on how to verify real correspondence with Amazon, below.
"Victims are receiving phone calls from fraudsters telling them their Amazon accounts have been compromised with fraudulent purchases," said Detective Ted Teshak in a statement.
After purchasing store gift cards, the scammers ask for the card account numbers and codes so they "can immediately use the funds, creating an instant loss of money for victims," said Detective Teshak.
The Tactic
The fraudsters are insisting on remaining on the phone with victims while they make these card purchases. Detective Tashak said the scammers are using intimidation if victims show any suspicion.
What to do if you think you're being scammed
Police say you should hang up the phone and find the business' phone number on your own. Don't let the fraudsters provide it for you.
Also, don't click any suspicious emails. Instead, go directly to the website of your account in question and use contact information provided there.
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You will never get an email, text or phone call from Amazon asking for personal information, according to the company's website.
"Amazon will never ask you to make a payment outside of our website and will never ask you for remote access to your device," says the company.
If you suspect fraud on your Amazon.com account or receive fraudulent emails, you can report these directly to the company.
"If you think you may have received a suspicious or fraudulent correspondence claiming to be from Amazon, we recommend that you report it," according to the Help & Customer Service portion of Amazon's website.
