During the holiday season, a lot of people are using Amazon to buy gifts and, usually, during such peaks, we can see the activation of scammers. Read our hints on how not to get into a trap – 

The most common scams that are being used on marketplaces:

  • Order Confirmation Scams. These are unexpected calls/texts/emails that often refer to an unauthorized purchase and ask you to act urgently to confirm or cancel the purchase. These scammers try to convince you to provide payment or bank account information, install software to your computer/device, or purchase gift cards. 

Remember, if you received correspondence regarding an order you weren’t expecting, you can verify orders by logging into your account. Only legitimate purchases will appear in your order history – and usually, Customer Service is available 24/7 to assist.

  • Tech Support Scams. Scammers create fake websites claiming to provide tech support for your devices and Amazon services. Customers who land on these pages are lured to contact the scammer and fall prey to their schemes.

Remember, go directly to the help section of your marketplace website when seeking help with orders or services. If you do use a search engine, use caution. Make sure you are using legitimate links – do not use links from suspicious emails it may also be a faked site created by scammers

Here are some important tips so that you can identify scams and keep your account and information safe: 

  1. Use only Trust channels. Always go through the legitimate mobile app or website when seeking customer service, tech support, or when looking to make changes to your account.
  2. Be wary of false urgency. Scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they’re asking. Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now.
  3. Never pay over the phone. Marketplace will never ask you to provide payment information, including gift cards (or “verification cards”, as some scammers call them) for products or services over the phone. 

Stay safe with Finsmarta – stay tuned!