Attorney General warns public of scam callers pretending to be from Amazon, other businesses

OHIO — Have you received a call from Amazon claiming you have made a large purchase and need refunded? This may actually be a scam, according to Attorney General Dave Yost.

Yost is warning the public about scammers pretending to be legitimate businesses such as Amazon, Apple or PayPal.

“Legitimate companies don’t do business this way, so just hang up,” Yost said in the release. “These impostors want to get you on the line and cause panic so you cough up personal information. My hope is that you will answer by ending the call.”

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According to the Federal Trade Commission, various callers have impersonated Amazon and attempt to assist the consumer with a large purchase they have made on their credit card.

The scam caller will then persuade the consumer to give them remote access the consumer’s device so they can issue an refund — the scam caller now has access to the consumers personal information. The scammer may also ask the consumer to purchase gift cards so they may stop the authorized purchase.

Amazon states on their website they would never call a customer requesting their personal information or a refund.

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The Ohio Attorney General’s Office offers these tips to help consumers deal with business impostor scams:

• Hang up if you receive a cold call from someone claiming that you have purchased an item from Amazon or another popular online retailer. Do not call back the number on your caller ID or the phone number mentioned in the message. Instead, if you are concerned about the supposed purchase, contact the retailer using its legitimate phone number or email address. Customer service contact information can typically be found on the company’s website.

• Carefully examine the details of your online account purchases and credit card bills for any unauthorized charges. If you see an unauthorized charge, report it immediately to your credit card company.

• Never allow a stranger to remotely access your smartphone, tablet or computer. If the caller claims to need remote access to process a refund, it’s a scam.

• Be highly suspicious of requests from a stranger to buy gift cards as payment for any product or service as part of a “refund” process or to allegedly help stop fraud from a third party. Know that once you disclose a gift card’s PIN to someone, that person will be able to access the money on the card.

• To report a scam, contact the legitimate retailer through the contact information on its website and the Ohio Attorney General’s Help Center.

• If you’ve fallen victim to a business impostor scam by disclosing personal identifying information, download the Ohio Attorney General’s ID Theft Basics publication and visit www.identitytheft.gov for help on how to proceed.

Consumers who suspect an unfair or deceptive sales practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.

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