Scammers are calling people and using the names of two companies everyone knows, Apple and Amazon, to rip people off. Here’s what you need to know about these calls.
In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says it’s Amazon. The message says there’s something wrong with your account. It could be a suspicious purchase, a lost package, or an order they can’t fulfill.
In another twist on the scam, you get a recorded message that says there’s been suspicious activity in your Apple iCloud account. In fact, they say your account may have been breached.
In both scenarios, the scammers say you can conveniently press 1 to speak with someone (how nice of them!). Or they give you a phone number to call. Don’t do either. It’s a scam. They’re trying to steal your personal information, like your account password or your credit card number.
If you get an unexpected call or message about a problem with any of your accounts, hang up.
- Do not press 1 to speak with customer support
- Do not call a phone number they gave you
- Do not give out your personal information
If you think there may actually be a problem with one of your accounts, contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real.
Read our article to learn how to block unwanted calls on a mobile phone or on your home phone. And if you do get a call you think is a scam, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Our Anatomy of an Imposter Scam blog series breaks down how to recognize, avoid, and report business and government imposter scams.
- Never move your money to “protect it.” That’s a scam
- What’s a verification code and why would someone ask me for it?
- Will your bank or investment fund stop a transfer to a scammer? Probably not
- Sure ways to spot a scammer
- Did you get a call or text about a suspicious purchase on Amazon? It’s a scam
- New tech support scammers want your life savings
- Did someone send you to a Bitcoin ATM? It’s a scam
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.
In reply to I don't get the phone calls by racingchick
In reply to i have gotten 5 calls this by AJazz
In reply to They called me 49 times by Dunwel
In reply to i have gotten 5 calls this by AJazz
In reply to i have gotten 5 calls this by AJazz
In reply to I don't get the phone calls by racingchick
In reply to I get these calls all the by Cmor
In reply to I get these calls all the by Cmor
In reply to If they are blowing up yor by Suggestion
In reply to Please tell me more about by dck
In reply to I get these calls all the by Cmor
In reply to I also get calls from by Sarah
In reply to Got 2 of these in three days by Jim
In reply to What happens if you do press by KHaby
In reply to The same happened to me today by 1234
In reply to I pressed one and someone by R
In reply to The same happened to me today by 1234
In reply to The same happened to me today by 1234
In reply to I did click 1, and talked by jen r
In reply to I did click 1, and talked by jen r
In reply to I pushed 1 and downloaded the by Nana
In reply to I pushed 1 and downloaded the by Nana
In reply to I did click 1, and talked by jen r
In reply to I fell for this - called a by got scammed
In reply to I got 8 today in 3 hours by Judah
In reply to Yep, so far 9 calls in 3 by Nancy
In reply to I did click 1, and talked by jen r
In reply to The same happened to me today by 1234
In reply to The same happened to me today by 1234
In reply to Yes, when I pressed 1, they by Fed up
In reply to The same happened to me today by 1234
In reply to What happens if you do press by KHaby
In reply to I just received and an by LISA
In reply to What happens if you do press by KHaby
In reply to Got 2 of these in three days by Jim
In reply to You don’t say why you should by upstate it
In reply to I pressed 1. No one picked by Toscano Plains
In reply to Have you received any further by Permeam
In reply to I just got the call too and by Alex
In reply to I just got the call too and by Alex
In reply to I spoke to a guy just to see by Bowling babe t
Pagination