Scam alert: Scammers are once again calling people and using the names of two companies everyone knows, Apple and Amazon, in a brazen attempt to rip people off, the U.S. FTC warns while offering details of what you need to know about these calls.
Alvaro Puig for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission:
In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says it’s Amazon. The message says there’s something wrong with your account. It could be a suspicious purchase, a lost package, or an order they can’t fulfill.
In another twist on the scam, you get a recorded message that says there’s been suspicious activity in your Apple iCloud account. In fact, they say your account may have been breached.
In both scenarios, the scammers say you can conveniently press 1 to speak with someone (how nice of them!). Or they give you a phone number to call. Don’t do either. It’s a scam. They’re trying to steal your personal information, like your account password or your credit card number.
If you get an unexpected call or message about a problem with any of your accounts, hang up.
• Do not press 1 to speak with customer support
• Do not call a phone number they gave you
• Do not give out your personal information
If you think there may actually be a problem with one of your accounts, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real.
MacDailyNews Note: Scammers may spoof legitimate company phone numbers and use flattery and threats to pressure you into giving them information, money, and even iTunes gift cards. If you get an unsolicited or suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be from Apple, just hang up.
You can report fraudulent tech support calls to the Federal Trade Commission (U.S. only) at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or to your local law enforcement agency.
The grammar is incorrect in the Apple support example. 🙂
The most effective thing to do is NOTHING: immediately hang up. Politeness doesn’t count.
If you chose to engage with ANYONE who calls YOU, do this simple test 1) Ask where they are located. If they have trouble answering this question, hang up. They are a fraud. If they pass this test ask 2) What is your name? If they have trouble answering this question, hang up. They are a fraud.
Scammers cannot answer either one of those questions. My question to YOU is WHY would you give money to ANYONE for any reason when you don’t know where they are located or what their name is. WHY?
If everyone would just ask those two questions, The whole scam industry would collapse.
I just set my phone not to ring unless the number is in my contact list so I never get these calls. Except one time when the spammer spoofed my phone number and it looked like I was calling myself. Funny. They rarely leave a voice mail and I just delete it when they do.
I also have my phone set not to ring except my contacts. I still got the voicemail notifications when the Apple support scammers hit me the day before thanksgiving. I had 37 voicemails that day. Blocking numbers didn’t work since each call was from a different number. I didn’t respond to any of them. I was very annoyed by the end of the day though.
I always ask, “would you like me to get my credit card now…I’d like to get this straightened out promptly?”
So the article does not explain anything. Instead it says what not to do or to do. For example, it says not to press #1 but does not say what happens if one does.
It would be so great to be able to reach through your phone and the phone line to their end, like in the old Looney Tunes cartoons, and slap their surprised faces a few times.