Amazon Prime Scam Warning Across Sussex

Monday, 3 August 2020 06:15

By Iona Stewart-Richardson @IslandIona

Sussex Police is issuing a warning about scam callers purporting to be from Amazon Prime, after a recent, sudden spike in reports.

Since 1 July, the force says it has received 68 reports of this type of fraud resulting in losses of over £64,000.

This crime typically involves a phone call from someone claiming to from Amazon and stating that an amount will be taken from their account to renew an Amazon Prime subscription or that the account has been compromised.

Many victims are advised to press a number on their phone as an option to not pay for the subscription. The scammer will then talk them through installing an app on their phone or tablet, and confirming their personal and banking details in order to stop the payment. Of course this is all an attempt to get the victim to transfer money to the caller’s bank account.

PC Bernadette Lawrie BEM, the Financial Abuse Safeguarding Officer for Surrey Police said:

“The evil perpetrators of this time of crime prey on the most vulnerable in our communities and often target a generation who aren’t as familiar with technology.

“People have lost devastating sums of money to calls like these so urge residents to be wary of any calls about subscription payments.

"Remember – don’t give or confirm your personal or banking details with an unexpected caller. If you’re unsure if the call is legitimate, hang up and verify the number with a trusted source, such as the company’s official website, or call a good friend or family member for advice.”

Sussex Police’s top tips to help stop this type of fraud are:

Act with care if you get an unsolicited phone call
Never transfer funds into another account on the instruction of an unexpected caller – even if they tell you the account is in your name
Always check your phone line has properly disconnected before making another call – try calling a good friend first, wait five minutes or use a different landline or mobile
Never share your PIN number or enter your PIN into a telephone
For further advice and information on preventing this type of fraud, see Sussex Police website here.

We have recently seen a spike in reports of scam callers purporting to be from Amazon Prime.
We would like to remind you to not share your banking details with an unexpected caller.
Read more about this scam and our tips on how to prevent this crime here:https://t.co/eqDp8B42Un pic.twitter.com/OlL0GpVsz3
— Sussex Police (@sussex_police) August 3, 2020