Warning to Prime customers
Police are warning Amazon Prime users after fraudsters stole more than £1 million from victims in three months.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau identified almost 600 reports of Amazon Prime-related computer software fraud, between October last year and now.
One victim from Scotland is thought to have lost more than £65,000 in the scam.
The fraud involves victims receiving an automated call telling them they have been charged for a subscription.
They are then asked to “press one” to cancel the transaction. However, when they do this, they are directed to someone posing as an Amazon customer service representative.
The fraudster advises the victim that their subscription was obtained fraudulently and that remote access to their computer is needed to fix a security flaw.
The victim is then asked to download a remote access application, often the Team Viewer app, which grants the fraudster access to their computer.
The criminal then monitors the victim logging into their online bank account, allowing the fraudster to see their personal and financial details. Other variants of the crime involve crooks stating that the recipient is eligible for a refund for an unauthorised transaction on their Amazon account.
Police said: “Always question uninvited approaches. Contact the company directly using a known email or phone number. Have the confidence to refuse unusual requests for personal or financial information. Never install software or visit a website as a result of a cold call.”