Amazon shoppers in Gedling borough are being warned over a fake refund email doing the rounds from scammers, which dupes them into handing over their bank details.
Scambusters Action Fraud has issued the warning after receiving a number of reports about the hoax emails
The fake email tells recipients that they have “a refund available” from an overpayment.
Recipients are then asked to follow a link to login to their Amazon account to complete the refund request, but this actually gives fraudsters access to their personal and financial information.
A spokesman for Action Fraud said: “Watch out for these fake emails offering Amazon refunds.
“Action Fraud has received reports about fake emails purporting to be from Amazon. The emails state the recipient is owed a refund.
“The links in the email lead to malicious websites that are designed to steal Amazon login details, as well as personal and financial information.
“Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial details.”
Amazon are now asking shoppers in the borough who have received the fake email to alert the company by emailing stop-spoofing@amazon.com
How to spot a fake message
Here are some top tips for spotting a scam email so you don’t get caught out:
Check the message contains your name – a legitimate message will always address you by your name
Question the content – anything along the lines of “Action required”, “Security Alert”, “There is a secure message waiting for you”, and so on, should be treated as suspect
Be wary of links – never click on any links in messages or emails if you suspect they may be fake
Check for a change in style – scammers will often take real messages or emails and amend them. Look out for changes in the wording used, especially if it seems too casual or familiar
Check for spelling and grammar – are there any spelling mistakes, missing full stops, or other grammatical errors?
Never provide details by text or email – a company will never ask you to provide bank details or personal information by text or email
