LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Amazon isn’t just popular with shoppers; it’s also very popular with cybercriminals. Now they’re posing as the online retailer to try to hijack your account and steal your money.
It starts with a text warning that an item you bought has either been recalled or failed a “routine quality check.” The text offers you a full refund, and you don’t even need to visit the website or app to claim it. Simply click the provided link and log in as usual.
You’re taken to a site that looks completely legitimate. You log in and provide the financial information needed to process your refund. However, the site’s a clever fake, and you’ve just been smished. Smishing involves scams sent via text message, and they’re becoming increasingly common.
To avoid getting smished, never click on links sent via text from unknown sources. If you get a text claiming to come from Amazon, verify the information provided through the company’s official website or app. And be sure to report any suspicious texts or emails to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or the Federal Trade Commission.
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