General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAmazon scam alert!
I got up this morning to see 10 order verification notices from Amazon in my email box. None of the purchases were mine. I immediately contacted the sellers in an effort to cancel the purchases but in the middle of doing so, my inbox began filling with shipping notifications for these 10 items that I did not buy totaling $781.93.
First, I removed my credit card from my Amazon account and called American Express to notify them of the fraudulent charges. The Amex person told me the 10 separate charges were pending but could possibly still post and if they did, he would note on the account that all of the charges would be disputed. We cancelled my Amex card and ordered a new one. I will have to continue to monitor my Amex account to make sure the charges are properly disputed.
Next, I went back into Amazon and changed my password and signed up for a two step authentication for future sign in activity. I double checked that my shipping addresses (one for home and one for our business) had not been changed without my knowledge. I disabled the one-click purchasing option.
Finally, I requested a phone call from Amazon to notify them of the fraudulent charges. I spoke to Allyson who was working from home in Denver. She filed reports for all the the 10 orders noting them as fraudulent and verified my password changes etc. She stated she had seen this kind of activity of late and that it was very likely that the packages would never show up - hence the fraud. If the items did in fact ship, since all of the items were shipped out of China, they would be delivered USPS because they would have to go through Customs as they entered the country. She recommended that I refuse all packages and send them back unopened.
Didn't need this drama at all today but all in all it only took a couple hours to get it nipped in the bud...at least I hope I nipped it. Amazon was incredibly responsive, which I did not expect.
PS - Allyson from Amazon told me that while she was working from home along with her husband and their two kids, her neighbors were partying in the street and in each other's back yards for the last 10 days. She was horrified.
rainin
(3,011 posts)Was your amazon account hacked directly? Or your email account? Do you know how they got control of your account?
This is truly terrible. No one deserves to have this added stress, especially at this time. Some people are truly evil.
Mike 03
(16,616 posts)This is scary.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)Although it isn't 100% certain yet. The Amazon rep told me this sort of thing is on the rise. Maybe Amazon was hacked and they haven't warned anyone yet? Knowing what I know now, I would recommend that anyone with an account change their password, use Amazon's two-step verification process AND disable the one-click purchasing option. It will take a few more clicks to complete a purchase but the extra effort on the front end could save you a couple hours or more of stress.
Mike 03
(16,616 posts)I'm so sorry you had to go through that, especially at a time like this.
LAS14
(13,783 posts)MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)The Amazon rep recommended I turn it off to reduce vulnerability so I took her word for it. Wish I had a better answer!
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)They don't know exactly what happened, or they didn't know when I talked with them. The Amazon rep could not see where the breach occurred. She said there had been an uptick of this kind of fraud and much of it out of China. It is unclear whether my card was charged and no items will be shipped or whether the items will be shipped and the pricing was inflated and they keep the profits...just not sure. All of the items were cosmetic storage pieces, like for makeup and nail polish and they were VERY expensive...ranging in price from $60 to $150...WAY more than you'd pay for something similar at a retail store.
Mike 03
(16,616 posts)That's disconcerting. I wonder how widespread this is. Good for you for handling it so calmly and setting out a process we can follow if it happens to other Amazon users.
Kick and bookmarked for future reference.
Shanti Mama
(1,288 posts)Began receiving small packages almost daily. Junky stuff. Poorly made headphones, bright pink slippers with soles that wouldn't bend at all, many containers for wireless earbuds, even a red negligee. Never ordered any of it.
It seemed all to be made in China. My guess was that a team of "reviewers" in China was placing orders for the items but didn't want the shipments to be traced to them. They found my name and address somehow so I became the receiver and the team could write verified reviews.
Amazon could do NOTHING. After about two months it stopped. Probably shipping to someone else now. I gave all the stuff away to various people who came through the house and expressed interest, except a travel coffee mug that I kep for myself.
Crazy!
LisaL
(44,973 posts)You got a bunch of staff (albeit mostly useless) for free.
Shanti Mama
(1,288 posts)I did have to take some items for donation. And open each and every package. Better than most scams, maybe not really a scam. Just a pain in the ass.
coti
(4,612 posts)tracking numbers (which show up on Paypal, without more investigation, as addressed only by town). A Chinese scammer tried to use a fake tracking number like that with me recently. Not sure why they would have included anything at all in the packages to you, though- maybe so not to tip you off that your address was being used for something like that (with empty packages).
Shanti Mama
(1,288 posts)I don't use PayPal.
Should I follow up with the police?
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)I hope the crap that got charged to me never actually shows up.
Shanti Mama
(1,288 posts)I didn't get any charges. Someone else was buying and sending to me. Crazy!
Eliot Rosewater
(31,112 posts)a different address?
Wonder what purpose that serves unless THEY are also the people selling the shipped items.
Two step is really good, once you have that it should be impossible for them to hack.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)They may not...the items that they charged me for were cheesy but yet incredibly expensive. Much more expensive than what you'd pay for something similar in the stores. All of the items were for cosmetics storage...like $60 for a nail polish holder. Stupid stuff at ridiculous prices. Maybe they will ship this crap but it only cost them pennies and they intend to keep the change. Who knows.
Eliot Rosewater
(31,112 posts)yaesu
(8,020 posts)to order something with my CC. After that I started to get packages shipped to me that I didn't order, cosmetics, kids stuff. Come to find out they had an old wireless phone connected to their phone outlet that broadcast everything on a frequency that could be heard on a police scanner.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)Thats crazy. I didnt know that was possible.
yaesu
(8,020 posts)traffic back when cell phones were analog which was up until 2010ish but most if not all scanners sold picked up wireless phones before they went to spread spectrum technology about the same time cell phones did.
NBachers
(17,117 posts)with other peoples's cards. It doesn't matter if the merchandise is delivered or not; they get paid for their over-priced tacky stuff.
Anyway, that's my line of conjecture.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,492 posts)If someone hacked your account, you would think they would ship the items to themselves (or a partner-in-crime) AND charge you for them.
Another DUer posted yesterday of a bunch of "normal" Amazon orders that have not been shipped out of China although their credit card was charged, and it appeared the vendors just disappeared.
KY........
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)The shipping notices show DHL as the carrier...which is common out of China BUT no tracking numbers that I can find - yet. The items charged to me were cheap cosmetic storage items at incredibly inflated prices. Even if they are shipped, there's no way that they cost what was charged. Maybe they just keep the difference between the actual cost of the item and the inflated price. $781.93 for 10 makeup/nail polish caddies. Ridiculous!
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,492 posts)Perhaps by shipping the items, they could claim it was a normal order from Amazon and thereby possibly avoid an investigation.
Crooks will do anything to make a buck.......
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)clicked on "track my package" and the tracking # looks phony. DHL uses really long tracking #'s and this one is relatively short. When I click on the number, it says "this item has shipped". Looks like it shipped from China and will arrive at my home on Friday. Yeah...not likely. Especially if it has to go through Customs.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,492 posts)or......
Go to: https://track-chinapost.com/
I think there's a different tracking number (Chinese origin) up to our customs, then the package is transfered to a domestic carrier such as DHL or USPS, where it's assigned a new domestic tracking number (which is rarely available).
Risky business.......
volstork
(5,401 posts)I have tried and cannot figure out how to do it (even following Amazon instructions).
Thanks in advance!
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)I didn't know how important it was until she alerted me to it. However, I just went into my Amazon account and did the following:
Sign in
Click the pull down menu item "My Account"
On the left hand side of that page, there's a column called "Ordering and Shopping Preferences"
In that column, scroll down to "One Click Settings"
I saw a "turn off everywhere" option, which I chose
I hope that helps!!
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,861 posts)I've always considered it a dangerous thing, because it could be too easy to accidentally click on it.
volstork
(5,401 posts)but did not see "turn off everywhere" option. Can you please tell me where it is on the page?
Thanks, MM!!
renate
(13,776 posts)The assistant asked me to send a screenshot, which I couldn't figure out how to do until after I told her never mind. So if you chat with them, have a screenshot of your screen ready to go. "Turn off everywhere" is supposed to be on the upper right, according to what I've read.
volstork
(5,401 posts)Thank you!
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,492 posts)Log onto your account and go to.....
Your Account Ordering and shopping preferences, then "1-Click settings "
In the upper right-hand corner of that page in a little frame, I see "disable 1-click everywhere". That should do it.
Note that it's possible your ad blocker or other security software might block that frame from showing.
KY.............
fleur-de-lisa
(14,624 posts)bucolic_frolic
(43,173 posts)MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)I'll be watching this and updating as facts emerge. They sent me tracking info that goes nowhere. It is a crock...it is apparently shipped from China and I'll receive it on Friday...Yeah, sure. From China to Montana with Customs in between.
They'll claim it's shipped to make it harder to cancel when it hasn't shipped. I had a runaroumd like this a few months ago. They claim it's shipped with an arrival date, then delay, delay. Insist on canceling it.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)but it appears that the seller is the scammer too. As I was cancelling the items, they were emailing me shipping notices. The notices have tracking info that leads nowhere. I dont believe the items will ever ship. Even if they do, the items I allegedly ordered are crappy and cheap and cost them pennies and they pocket the difference between their cost and the inflated price they charged...check this POS item that they charged $115:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08681F76Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
pangaia
(24,324 posts)MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)jmbar2
(4,888 posts)Immediately deleted all my payment options.
Demonaut
(8,918 posts)MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)makeup/cosmetic/nail polish storage solutions. There was a bamboo Kleenex box holder with a couple tiny compartments for pencils or whatever and it was $80 plus $4.49 shipping from China!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0865F9581/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
yaesu
(8,020 posts)Kali
(55,011 posts)MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)storage containers that cost a mint. I wish it had been cool stuff. Check out the plastic POS container below for $115!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08667Q81G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08681F76Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Kali
(55,011 posts)MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)Snake Plissken
(4,103 posts)I won't go into the details since it was a pretty elaborate scam they were running, using properties of recently deceased people to have the items shipped to and local college students willing to make make a few dollars to pick them up, slap a prepaid shipping label on them and drop them off at UPS or FedEx.
The bottom line is I was using the same password for my Amazon account as I was for several other accounts and one of those merchants had their system hacked without notifying me, all the hackers had to do was go through the list of stolen email addresses and password at various other online retailers such as Amazon and eBay until they came across accounts that they were able to log in to and order as much as they could before the cards on file were declined.
Warpy
(111,267 posts)FWIW, I have ordered from them, usually books that aren't available here.. I just went to "my account" and no items appeared to have been ordered and none had been charged and they had an old card that is now defunct, I'll need to update if there's something else I want to read.
I figured it was a phishing attempt and simply forwarded it to Amazon.
sonofabitchinbob
(5 posts)I'm not saying it would have helped I was just wondering if you use a vpn software when you are online
warmfeet
(3,321 posts)Maybe, just maybe, we should have safeguards on this system.
snort
(2,334 posts)I just deleted my card from my account. Doesn't take much time to type it in on future orders.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)I order quite a bit of stuff from them, actually. Mostly for my businesses. I know people hate them...but I can get what I need without leaving work to drive all over town looking for supplies. Regardless, Im willing to type in my credit card number for future orders.
Nululu
(842 posts)They won't tell you who's stealing but the police can find out and make arrests. You may be able to file the report online or on the phone.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)these jerks are in China....the Amazon rep was able to verify that much. I wish I could press charges and get my morning back!
Nululu
(842 posts)Worst is that even if Amazon bans them, they'll rename and scam again.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)I was going to chalk it up to experience but then thought Id better tell folks about it in case it happens to them.
agingdem
(7,850 posts)so I ordered a game system for my grandson...it's his birthday..it was being delivered tomorrow...so I checked to make sure and I discovered the order had been canceled..made no sense...checked my credit card and amount was refunded...I checked to see if the game system was available from the same dealer and yes it was but it was $150 more on something that already pretty pricey...I contact the dealer and have heard nothing back...I rated it...1 star.
marble falls
(57,099 posts)on the road. I hear gas is cheap.
the_sly_pig
(741 posts)thenelm1
(854 posts)I started getting e-mails from Amazon that my password had been changed. And it wasn't done by me. I went through all the same steps you did with Amazon support, but then the same thing happened all over again two weeks later. This time I found that an e-mail address had also been changed to an address ending in .ru. Amazon really had no solutions beyond the two step thing to offer so I ended up having the account frozen (they wouldn't delete it) and immediately contacted my credit card company to replace my card. I've refused to do business with Amazon since then. There were never any charges made from those changes which made me think that it may have occurred through some malware/automated process. I ain't going back until I know there is more reliable account security with their system - which probably means never.
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)Makes me wonder if it could be one trying to recoup losses. Anyway, hope it works out for you!
cry baby
(6,682 posts)I changed settings and removed cc.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)I dont think youll regret it.
Totally Tunsie
(10,885 posts)I, too, had a scam situation that I posted about yesterday, and am currently in the process of trying to dispute the order and charges with Discover.
While the circumstances were different (bait and switch), the scamming company was able to "prove" that I had actually received something so that meant they were legit and they had merely fulfilled an order. Discover agreed. I'm appealing b/c Discover did not initially require I submit any documentation, and I told them I have the original ad plus photos of the bogus item received that I would submit. Hopefully, they'll reverse their decision.
In your case, the scammer might be using the same tactic: You did receive "something" even if you didn't order or want it.
Good luck with your saga. It truly is an annoying P.I.T.A. to have to deal with these thieves.
Thanks again.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)Thats nuts. IF I get anything from these loser scammers...and I doubt I will...the Amazon rep advised I refuse all shipments and send them back. Gosh I hope Discover gets on board and helps you out.
Totally Tunsie
(10,885 posts)Once they see actual photos, the scam is pretty obvious.
The dollar amount in my case isn't something to lose sleep over, so I'll live no matter what. Your bill for $781+ is another story!
RobinA
(9,893 posts)to me. Since when does Amazon send out verification requests when you buy something? I got a couple of these and I ignored them, since I figured it was a scam. Nothing ever happened.
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)I just got the standard email notification that I had made a purchase...times 10. I knew I hadnt made the purchases especially for those cheese wad items...and I got to work. Either Amazon got hacked or Amazon got hacked...They may or may not make it public. I cant imagine Im the only one this happened to.
PuppyBismark
(594 posts)Most all credit cards allow cardholders to set alerts on transactions. One should set alerts on any transaction where the card is not present, made from outside the country or over a set limit such as $20.00. I know American Express has the. You can get them as text and/or emails. The come within a minute as they occur.
This will stop bad guys in their tracks. It alerted me to some waiter who copied my card and used it on the internet. Nothing was shipped and the card replaced
hangaleft
(649 posts)Sorry to hear of the hassle you went through.
My own heads up My PayPal account was hacked recently. Its a long story, not worth reciting. Suffice it to say I caught a $.01 hold on the credit card linked to my PayPal account that was not authorized by me. I notified the credit card issuer and closed my PayPal account.
Theres much more to this story, but the bottom line is monitor any accounts linked to your PayPal account closely. Or, do as I did close your PayPal account.
(I didnt bother to notify PayPal because, unlike Amazon, PayPals customer service sucks and it would have been a waste of time talking to them.)
MontanaMama
(23,319 posts)This could easily be its own OP. Thanks so much for this. I use them a lot for our business.