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Amazon Warns 220 Million Customers Of Prime Account Attacks
In recent weeks, I have been on the receiving end of multiple phone calls and email-based threats as part of a prime account impersonation scam. As a veteran cybersecurity writer, hacker, and analyst, I have witnessed the rise in attacks designed to induce victims into making payments or providing personal information, such as payment and banking details.
Amazon has taken a proactive approach by warning all 220 million Prime customers about an increase in Amazon impersonation scams. The e-commerce giant has described an impersonation scam as when an attacker “pretends to be a trustworthy organization or person in order to steal your money or personal information,” and perpetuated by phone, email, text, or even social media.
The warning emails from Amazon started with a stark alert that the company is aware of an increase in customers reporting fake emails about Amazon Prime membership subscription. These emails may include personal information obtained from other sources, aimed at appearing legitimate.
Amazon recommends users be vigilant for certain red flags that can indicate this type of attack methodology. Attackers often create a false sense of urgency and leverage it to encourage a knee-jerk reaction, such as clicking a link or providing account information. They might ask for personal information, including payment and banking details, which a genuine caller or Amazon support staff would not.
In addition, the company has compiled a list of five common scam attack trends that it sees impacting customers, although stressed that this is not an exhaustive list due to attackers continually evolving their methods.
Amazon warns users to verify their Prime membership by opening the Amazon mobile app or going directly to Amazon.co.uk and selecting “Prime” from the main menu. The company advises always accessing Amazon through the mobile app or typing amazon.co.uk in your browser, and also recommends verifying if a message is genuine by visiting the Message Center under “Your Account.”
It also encourages users to enable two-step verification for their Amazon account via the Login & Security settings and check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker database.
Source: www.forbes.com
