Internet shoppers in Cheshire are being warned about an email scam which sees con artists fleecing victims out of cash – by posing as the retail giant Amazon.
The bogus messages, from ‘service@amazon.co.uk’, mimic an automatic customer email notification and claim recipients have made an order online.
The emails try to dupe unsuspecting victims into clicking on a link and giving their bank card details.
One victim in Manchester reportedly had £750 stolen from his account after entering his Nationwide banking details.
Police and other agencies have warned about the scam and posted information about how to avoid being swindled.
Action Fraud, the national cyber crime reporting centre, said it has received information from people who have been sent ‘convincing’ emails claiming to be from Amazon.
One victim received an email stating that they had ordered an expensive vintage chandelier.
Others were told they had bought stereos, cameras, iPhones and luxury watches.
The emails cleverly state that if recipients haven’t authorised the transaction, they can click on the help centre link to receive a full refund.
The link leads to an authentic-looking website, which asks victims to confirm their name, address, and bank card information.
Amazon bosses say that suspicious emails will often contain
- Links to websites that look like Amazon.co.uk , but aren't Amazon.co.uk
- Attachments or prompts to install software on your computer
- Typos or grammatical errors
- Forged (or spoofed) e-mail addresses to make it look like the e-mail is coming from Amazon.co.uk
The victim who had £750 stolen from his account was given a full refund after Nationwide cancelled the card.
Amazon said it would never ask for personal information to be supplied by email.
To report a fraud and cyber crime and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
