Wherever customers gather, scammers are sure to follow, and Amazon Prime Day is no exception.
As consumers are due to flock to to Amazon in hopes of grabbing great deals, hackers take advantage of the surge in activity. Cybersecurity experts worldwide are urging Amazon customers to be particularly vigilant in ahead of, during and after Amazon Prime day.
What Types of Scams Can Be Expected?
Scammers typically use messages designed to prompt users to click malicious links or share sensitive information. Here are some common examples and why hackers use them:
- Fake Messages or Calls Related to Deliveries: Scammers may send messages like “Confirm your shipping address” or “There has been a problem with your order, please click here to confirm.”
- Fake Messages or Calls Related to Failed Payments: Messages may include statements such as “We’ve had an issue with your recent payment, please click here to reconfirm” or “A charge of XXX amount has been made on your account, please click here if this wasn’t you.”
- Fake Messages or Calls Offering Deals/Discounts: Messages may promote deals or discounts that seem too good to be true.
Things to Keep in Mind When Analysing Messages
Remember, scammers often push for immediate action. They might try to get you to click a malicious link or share sensitive information.
For security purposes, legitimate suppliers or providers (like Amazon or your bank) will not ask you to share personal information via text or email. They also won’t ask you to confirm details through a link sent in a message. Instead, you would need to log into your account through their official website or app, which involves security checks.
If you receive a message urging you to click a link, download an attachment, or share information, it’s a red flag.
While you might occasionally receive legitimate messages asking you to click a link, it’s always best to verify before doing so. Contact the business directly via their main website, call, or email their official customer service team. Share the message you’ve received and verify its authenticity before taking any action.
What Can Hackers Gain from This?
Hackers can gain various benefits from fraudulent attempts, including:
- Access to Other Accounts: This could include e-commerce, banking, or social media accounts.
- Personal Information for Identity Theft: Your information could be used to take out credit cards or set up new bank accounts in your name.
- Ransom Demands: Access to sensitive information that hackers could hold for ransom.
Official Guidance
There is plenty of official guidance online to help you understand the types of messages businesses typically send and what to do if you receive something suspicious. Remember, urgency and pressure to click a link or download something is often a sign of a scam.
When in doubt, always contact the business in question. It’s safer to verify than to fall victim to a scam.
For Amazon in particular, you can read their official guidance on scams in the customer service section of their website: Amazon Scam Guidance.
How Does DynaRisk Help?
At DynaRisk, we believe everyone should have access to cybersecurity tools to stay protected from threats, regardless of their cyber proficiency.
Our tools are designed to help both individuals and businesses mitigate cyber risks through education, training, passive scans, and dark web monitoring.
Find out more at www.dynarisk.com.