Multiple federal and state agencies have noticed a couple of new methods of tricking consumers that are gaining traction: an Amazon AirPods raffle scam and an order confirmation scam.
The order confirmation scam starts off by sending you a text message to confirm a delivery. It will include a link to do this and state it’s from a reputable company like Walmart, Costco, Target, or Amazon. Do not click on the link! This is a tactic called “smishing”, or SMS phishing.
These messages will also say that a shipping confirmation will follow, and that your credit card on file will be charged automatically. It provides a phone number to call if you haven’t placed any order, but this number will likely lead you to the scammers, who will then collect your credit card information to be “credited.” This scam may also be initiated through email instead of text messages.
To avoid this scam, do not click on any of the links or call the numbers provided in the message. You can contact the retailers directly to confirm any order or shipping information. You can also confirm if there has actually been any unauthorized transactions on your account.
The United States Postal Service reminds consumers that they also have a package tracking service, but will only send out notifications if the user has requested them. “Customers are required to either register online, or initiate a text message, and provide a tracking number. USPS will not send customers text messages or e-mails without a customer first requesting the service with a tracking number, and it will NOT contain a link,” the agency said. “So, if you did not initiate the tracking request for a specific package directly from USPS and it contains a link: don’t click the link!”
The other notable scam pretends to raffle off a free pair of Apple AirPods on Amazon. Consumers have reported that they’ve received text messages claiming they’ve won a pair of AirPods from Amazon. All you have to do it click the provided link to claim your prize. If you click on the link, though, it will lead you to a phishing website to collect your personal information and Amazon username and password, or it will load malware on to your device.
The fake messages have also used fitness trackers and Apple Watches instead of AirPods to try to entice victims.
In another similar scam, the message offered a secret shopper job at Whole Foods Market for $400 a week, according to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker website. The link asked for their name and address. The next day, the victim received a fake check in the mail and instructions to buy an American Express gift card to send to an email, along with “shopper experience surveys” to send also.
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