Watch Out! Scammers are Targeting Amazon Users - Money Tip Tuesday

In today’s digital world, with so much of our information and interactions taking place over the internet, sooner or later we’re bound to receive suspicious messages or emails trying to trick us into giving sensitive account information. There are always scams circling around we should all be aware of, and today’s scam of note involves Amazon.  Links: Stay up to date on scams with Amazon's security info blog Report scams and stay up to date on PayPal's security center Get Triangle CU news and fraud updates at TCU University Learn more about the Better Checking account with Identity Protection Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Learn more about Triangle Credit Union   Transcript: Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast.   As of 2025 data, Amazon Prime has surpassed over 260 million users worldwide. It’s a company widely recognized that countless users know and trust. So it’s no surprise that scammers will try to use anything associated with Amazon, to pump out deceiving, yet convincing messages to grab your attention and get you to think you’re working with Amazon to resolve an issue or update and order. But beware, because you might instead be working with a fraudster.   Imagine this. You’re in the middle of your workday, focused on projects, emails and tasks, and suddenly your phone buzzes with a new message. It looks to be from Amazon stating that there’s an issue with your recent order and that you can quickly resolve the issue by clicking the link to resolve the issue or initiate a refund. The message tries to get you to act fast by noting that if you don’t follow the instructions you’ll lose the refund. Maybe you’re alarmed, or surprised, so what do you do? Click the link?  Unfortunately, many people fall for scams like these, especially when they come from such a recognizable company as Amazon. I personally have received these from not only Amazon, but PayPal, Ebay and even some of my financial institutions. It can’t be stressed enough how important it is for us to respond appropriately to these messages. In this case, caution and consideration over swift action.   This message is timely because just recently Amazon reports that there have been fraudulent messages circulating with the purpose to steal financial information include fake order confirmations that require payment and emails claiming there is an account issue or order issue that needs to be resolved.  The purpose of these scams is to steal financial information or get you to transfer money. You’re the first line of defense in safeguarding your financial information.   Here are a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to suspicious messages and identity protection in general.   Don’t EVER click links in urgent text messages or emails. Verify by checking your account updated in the application or website that you visit directly. I personally do it myself all the time. If I get an urgent message about something going on with any of my accounts, I open the app on my own, log into my account and check my updates or order information. Most of the times that I’ve done this, it further confirmed the alarming message was fraudulent. Stay on top of current fraud trends. Knowledge is power. It’s important to know what kinds of fraud tactics exist so you can best guard against them. Scammers are always inventing new ways to trick people, so keeping informed on current tactics is your best line of defense. They’ve found ways to use QR codes, text messages, phone calls, and now AI tools to come up with new and convincing scams. Keep an eye out for news on data breaches, scam alerts, and explore blog articles and other security information to keep your knowledge up to date. Amazon posts updates on their own security blog (check the link in the show notes), PayPal dedicates a page on their site for reporting and learning about ongoing fraud trends (link in show notes), even your financial institutions likely share news on recent scams. Triangle posts about a lot of fraud content with news and tips at our educational site TCU University (link in show notes). So next time you get word that there’s another scam making the rounds, don’t discount it, investigate it.    Protect your identity. Even the most vigilant person can still unfortunately become a victim of identity theft. All it takes is a very well-crafted scam during a moment of distraction or even a large-scale data breach to compromise your personal info. But, in the unfortunate event something like this happens, all is not lost. Having something like identity theft protection can be your saving grace. Triangle’s Better Checking with identity protection provides not only safeguarding but also an identity resolution case manager and theft reimbursement coverage in case there is an instance of identity theft. Learn more about the identity theft protection benefits with a Better Checking account at trianglecu.org. If there are any other tips or topics you would like us to cover, let us know at [email protected]. Like and follow our Making Money Personal FB and IG page and look for our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union on social media to share your thoughts.   Thanks for listening to today’s Money Tip Tuesday and check out our other tips and episodes on the Making Money Personal podcast.   Have a great day!