3 Amazon Scams Retirees Should Be On the Lookout for This Labor Day
Written by
Heather Altamirano
Edited by
Daria Uhlig
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If you’re a retiree, beware. While Labor Day is a great time to score mega savings, it’s also when scammers hope to take advantage of unsuspecting seniors.
“Unfortunately, scammers may take advantage of the hype by offering fraudulent Labor Day discounts or making advertisements for products that don’t exist,” the Better Business Bureau warned.
Data compromises, including from cyberattacks, are on the rise, increasing by a staggering 72% since 2021. Last year alone, over 343 million people had their data compromised in cyberattacks, according to The Identity Theft Research Center Annual Data Breach Report.
Seniors are often the targets of cyber crimes. In fact, cyber criminals bilked people over age 60 out of $3.4 billion last year — an increase of nearly 11% from 2022 — per the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
As Labor Day sales get underway, hackers will be lurking, hoping to steal personal information and your money.
Here are scams retirees should be aware of.
Password Stealing
Password stealing is increasing among some of the biggest recognized brands, including Amazon. A new analysis by researchers at Kaspersky found that Amazon is the third leading site for most hack attempts, Forbes reported. But you can help prevent attacks by using strong passwords and a virtual private network.
“Public Wi-Fi networks are often not secure, making it easy for cybercriminals to intercept your data,” Abhishek Karnik, McAfee’s head of threat research, told GOBankingRates. “Using a VPN encrypts your internet connection and data, providing a secure way to access the internet even on public networks.”
Brushing
It isn’t your lucky day if you’ve unexpectedly received multiple boxes from Amazon that you didn’t order. You might be a victim of brushing. It’s becoming so prevalent that the Better Business Bureau recently issued a statement about how to protect yourself from this latest Amazon scam.
Why do the perpetrators engage in brushing? The BBB explained, “They intend to make it appear that you wrote a glowing online review of their merchandise and that you are a verified buyer of that merchandise. They then post a fake, positive review to improve their product’s ratings, which means more sales. The payoff is highly profitable from their perspective.”
Maybe that doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it means someone has your personal information, including your home address. Plus, the threat of porch pirates is real. The people behind the brushing could have others watching your house to get to the packages before you see them.
Here’s what to do if you feel you’re a victim, per the BBB:
- Notify Amazon customer service. Brushing and fake reviews are against their policy.
- Change the passwords for all of your accounts. Brushing could indicate the hackers have your information.
- Keep the merchandise. You have the legal right to do so.
- Check your recent order history. If you find items you didn’t purchase, you can refuse the package if you’re home when it’s delivered.
- Try to identify the sender and look for fake reviews under your name. You can ask Amazon to take them down.
Impersonation Scams
Impersonation scams are rising and have reached a new level of complexity, resulting in $1.1 billion in losses last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. “A fake Amazon employee might transfer you to a fake bank or even a fake FBI or FTC employee for fake help,” the April FTC Consumer Protection report stated.
Scammers will try to get your bank account information by impersonating others. The FTC advises the following ways to protect yourself:
- Don’t respond to messages or click on links from numbers you don’t know.
- Businesses and government agencies will never ask you to buy gift cards, transfer money or use a bitcoin ATM to resolve a problem. Anyone who asks those things is a scammer.
- Cybercriminals will be in a hurry to get your information, so if you feel rushed, it’s likely a scam. Slow down and check out the details they’re giving you. Do not send money or give them personal information.
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