Huge scam targets online shoppers – what you need to know!

by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton | December 11, 2016 4:26 pm

First off[1], I want to say I do most of my shopping from Amazon. I have done so for 14 years and I have never had a problem that they didn’t solve immediately. They were courteous and professional. I adore Amazon. Having said that, it would seem there are unscrupulous scammers out there looking to rip people off, like they always do. This time it is with Amazon gift cards. So beware. Amazon evidently hasn’t addressed this yet, but I’m sure they will.

These criminals are listed on Amazon as sellers. They get you to leave the site to purchase an item with them and evidently get you to use an Amazon gift card to purchase their item. Then they never send it to you. When you call Amazon about it, they tell you that the gift card has already been used and there is nothing they can do about it. In other words, you are screwed.

[2]

From 90 Miles From Tyranny:

If you plan to shop on Amazon.com this holiday season, be warned.

There’s a new scam afoot, and the con artists are using Amazon to steal your money. Based on the number of complaints reported to Bamboozled from across the country in the past few months, the problem is widespread, if not rampant.

Amazon isn’t doing anything about it, according to shoppers who fell victim to the scam.

Given that we’re at the start of the busy holiday shopping season, one might think Amazon wants to warn its customers.

The retail giant is staying silent.

We’ve reported before about fake third-party sellers who lure buyers to leave Amazon’s site when it comes time for payment. Through untraceable wire transfers, the fraudsters take money for items they never deliver.

This time, the scammers are using Amazon gift cards to pull off the fraud.

And it seems to be working beautifully.

You should only[3] ask questions of a seller directly through Amazon. You can do that at the bottom of the item you are buying. The seller should respond right there when they answer you. If a seller tells you to call, text or email for any reason, don’t do it. Find another seller – especially if it is a foreign transaction. If you do end up in a conversation with a seller, never follow any links where you can supposedly make a payment.

The seller may tell you the transaction is covered by Amazon. It’s only covered by Amazon if you pay through Amazon Payments directly on the Amazon page – not on some fake page that’s done up to look like the real deal. Never pay for an item with an Amazon gift card that the seller tells you to buy. Just don’t do it. If you have a gift card, it’s cool to use it, but only through Amazon Payments. Otherwise it is a scam.

I still recommend Amazon to all of you… they are the best out there and have always treated me well. I couldn’t ask for better, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t people out there looking to rip you off.

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Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/crime/huge-scam-targets-online-shoppers-need-know/

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