Amazon scam

Silvertabby

Just had another recorded message saying that my Amazon prime account is about to be auto renewed and that 79.99 (English accent, but didn't say if this amount was in £, $ or Euro) will be debited from my bank account shortly.

I've never had an Amazon prime account, so just put the phone down at this point.

Can only assume that the 'scam' would involve speaking to a 'helpful person' who would insist on checking that my bank details were correct - including my pin.  

tempus_fugit

Pretty sure Amazon Prime accounts auto-renew anayway, so I’d be pretty sure that any such phone call would be a scam even if I did have Amazon Prime.

neilmcl

Amazon prime does indeed auto renew and no they don't ring you up, so yes it is a scam.

piano

I record the calls, stringing the callers along and wasting their time for as long as I can while I find out about their scams. They claim that you've been charged for a Prime subscription and if you say you didn't authorise it, they offer a refund.
They may falsely claim that your computer/phone has been hacked, and "prove" this by getting you to do a Google search for your IP address - this will bring up a result of Mountain View in California, Google's own IP, but the scammer will claim this is the location of the hacker.
As with the "Microsoft" or "BT" tech support scam, they will then try to get you to download legitimate remote access software that will give them access to your PC/mobile, mainly TeamViewer, but alternatively AnyDesk or Supremo. They pretend this is required for them to issue the refund. You have to type in a code to make the connection with the remote access software, which they will claim authorises the refund. Once they have access to your PC/mobile, they are free to grab your data, install malware to steal your banking details, and delete files if you have antagonised them.
If you decline their requests to download software, they may instead ask you to read out your debit card details. In some versions of the scam, they direct you to a fake Amazon site they have set up - which includes a form for you to fill in, including your debit card number and 3-digit code! 
I've had at least 7 calls from them, so they are remarkably persistent. I'm running out of fake personas to field the calls...

badmemory

I've had this, but for 39point99 press 1 to renew.  Who in the UK quotes a price as something point something, to stand a chance of being genuine it should have been thirty nine ninety niine.  Although I had a friend who fell for it & she didn't even have an amazon account let alone prime!

Then there is the one supposedly from BT your broadband is about to be terminated press 1 to stop.

Dial 1572 and follow the menu!  This blocks the number (for a BT line anyway).

Silvertabby

As with the "Microsoft" or "BT" tech support scam, they will then try to get you to download legitimate remote access software that will give them access to your PC/mobile, mainly TeamViewer, but alternatively AnyDesk or Supremo. They pretend this is required for them to issue the refund. You have to type in a code to make the connection with the remote access software, which they will claim authorises the refund. Once they have access to your PC/mobile, they are free to grab your data, install malware to steal your banking details, and delete files if you have antagonised them.

Mr S (retired IT tech) got this one.  Had great fun with them until they cottoned on.   Not as good as our lovely elderly neighbour, though, (80s but as sharp as a tack).  She pretended to try to log on to her computer in  order to allow access to the caller to 'fix her problem' but took her time about it.  Caller obviously got a bit stressed, and so asked her what the problem was.  She replied that the cassette tape had become unravelled, and she was winding it back in as fast as she could.... Caller must have been a youngster, because the penny didn't drop straight away.

donnac2558

Yes, I have had a few of these automated calls.  All a US accent and saying press 1 or my Prime will be disconnected.

I never actually answer and the message is left on my voicemail. 

letsbehonest

I to have had these phone calls (ignored) but from my own experience Amazon do pull some dodgy stunts with Prime and P&P. check all before you buy,by and large Amazon works well not always the cheapest, but trying to contact them is difficult.

TripleH

Tell them you keep pressing 2 because you want it disconnected. Alternatively, say "ooh thank you very much, it was on my to do list, you've saved me having to make the call" using an ever so grateful tone on the phone to them to cause confusion. 
I often respond to fake calls and some of my responses will get my post redacted by moderators (bad language or drug references). 

Hoof_Hearted

I love those technical support ones. Always with a British name and a heavy Indian accent. They tell you to open event viewer on the computer and that the contents are viruses, which is rubbish. I string them along, bumbling about, pretending I'm deaf. Too much time on my hands with the lock down. In the end, when they tell me to download the program which gives them control of the computer, I say I have an error message.I tell them it says "Does your mother know you're a thief?" They always get mad at this point. The last one, Debbie (from Calcutta), called me a f-ing b-stard. Terrific command of colloquial English.

[Deleted User]

letsbehonest said:

 Amazon do pull some dodgy stunts with Prime and P&P.

Whatever you may think of Amazon themselves, these calls have nothing whatever to do with their "dodgy stunts". 

Anyone receiving these calls therefore can (and should) safely ignore them even if they are Amazon customers.