Forum Topic

Amazon scam

Have just had a call on my landline claiming to be from Amazon, suggesting someone in California had used my account and made a substantial purchase (£1000+). They asked me to press one if this was OK, two if not . I had made no such purchases and when a different voice came up offering "suggestions" I hung up. Apparently this is becoming fairly common, and the advice is to ignore the call and supply no information. Has anyone on the Forum had similar calls?

Alexander MacLeod ● 1884d28 Comments

Well taxes can pay for our public services, so tax avoidance may harm public service provision by lowering the money available to pay for them.

David Ainsworth ● 1834d

Sorry David.  Did not understand your question

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1834d

Ditto Barbara. Prime/Smile is vital for me in so many ways, e.g. using Fresh when I don't need to do a big shop with Ocado/Sainsbury/other supermarkets which have a minimum spend of £40 which I often don't need. The fact that Smile donates a little from each transaction to a charity of my choice is fantastic in my opinion.  Prime Video is amazing for its ATP coverage!  I do agree though that Amazon's taxation does need to be sorted but that's up to the Govt and to be honest it doesn't bother me enough to stop me shopping with them.

Sue Hammond ● 1834d

"Not happy that their tax bill, is somewhat miserly, but then that's not my problem and I can do nothing about it"You do not use public services in any way?

David Ainsworth ● 1834d

I have been with Amazon Prime now for 3 years.  I mostly do my shopping online, not necessarily with them, as am immobile.  Have had no trouble from them at all, ever.  They deduct by debit card once a year.  As a bonus I am able to watch tennis to which other channels have no access.  Also watch football  They do an excellent film service of which a lot are free.  Not happy that their tax bill, is somewhat miserly, but then that's not my problem and I can do nothing about it

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1834d

Yes it’s all too easy to sign up to Prime by mistake. Sneaky website design and very irritating especially if you don’t spot it until the first debit hits your account. Monopolistic behaviour without a doubt.

Jonathan Callaway ● 1834d

I ordered something yesterday and I think, hope, fingers crossed that I managed to avoid Prime. I spotted something in a very small font saying click here if you don't want Prime. I've been caught before and it takes a lot of time and effort extricating yourself from it.The problem is that Amazon is often the only/easiest place to find some items.  I salve my conscience by going via Smile Amazon which donates which donates a couple of farthings to a charity I support. But I wish some government had the wit to devise a tax on Amazon and other tech giants.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 1834d

David, some people want Prime because of the access to the TV service, or they like the next day deliveries. I can use my wife's Prime service, I just get annoyed when on occasions it tries to sign me up as well using an opt out rather than an opt in, although it's fairly easy to cancel.

Michael Ixer ● 1834d

"The problem with Prime is that they keep trying to add it back in a very aggressive way so it can get added as part of a new purchase if one doesn't look at the questions/check boxes carefully".Which strikes me as repellent behaviour. Do they gain regular customers by such trickery? They so dominate the market that they feel untouchable. Hopefully that won't last forever.

David Ainsworth ● 1834d

I'm not sure you can use direct debits on Amazon, can you? Don't they only trade with credit cards? The problem with Prime is that they keep trying to add it back in a very aggressive way so it can get added as part of a new purchase if one doesn't look at the questions/check boxes carefully.

Michael Ixer ● 1835d

surely if you cancel the direct debit that's the end of it?

Matt Palmer ● 1835d

It is almost impossible to cancel Amazon Prime. I don't need it and have managed to cancel, but somehow it always seems to come back again.

Caroline Whitehead ● 1835d

I wouldn't think that was Amazon, Barbara; they'd just renew it automatically, charge the credit card they hold for your account, then wait for you to cancel it if you didn't want to renew it 🙂

Michael Ixer ● 1835d

Amazon (?) phoned this morning telling me my Prime subscription needed renewing  Press link to pay

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1835d

Sue. I don't think just pressing "1" should initiate a charge. It's normally a signal to the criminals that someone's willing to speak to them and they'll try and scam bank or other personal information out of the victim so they can defraud them. In this case suspect the automated dialler called more that one person who pressed "1" and someone else got put through to the fraudster ...https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/alert/scammers-target-people-with-amazon-prime-scam

Michael Ixer ● 1835d

My Brother has the same call this morning on but he did press 1! However he wasn't connected to anyone so he hung up at that point. I hope his  action hasn't incurred a huge charge in his landline. I can't tell you how many times I've warned him about these scams.

Sue Hammond ● 1835d

Just had another irritating call with a female mechanical American voice about your Amazon purchase of - I think it was over £300.  If you don't recognise this purchase press 1. I hung up. It was from an apparent mobile phone number, not a number withheld.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 1835d

I removed my landline. Even with TPSi had way too many calls. If I picked up in the evening I always said good evening and pretended I was a company, that always threw them and they wouldn't call back..

Maxine Campbell ● 1881d

You can't be connected to a premium rate phone line from an INCOMING call!

Mark Phillips ● 1881d

HalloYes, I have strange telephone calls, which I ignore. BUT one way of avoiding these calls is to let your answerphone take the call.  If the call is a scam or whatever, the caller hangs up.  It does actually work!!  Obviously, if you hear a friend's voice, then take the call!!

carole tanner ● 1881d

Technically it is possible but I  suppose the main thing is the need for international agreements concerning regulations and the enforcement of standards. People want cheaper telecommunications with more functionality - and free communications services such as Skype, WhatsApp, FaceTime,  etc have reduced revenues for the Plain Old Telephone System. I suspect it will get worse over the next few years as BT convert all our old analogue circuits to digital ones carried over the internet: still at least we'll get number portability so you won't know which part of the country anyone's calling from and, I guess, even cheaper calls ... and perhaps we'll also get that holy grail of fibre to all our houses and gigabit internet connections 🙂

Michael Ixer ● 1882d

Isn't it time that action was taken to stop to all these scams.  Can it really be impossible?

Philippa Bond ● 1882d

Had one on Friday..  Not Amazon but Netflix telling me to update my subscription  This though was an email.  I do not have Netflix.

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1884d

Me too. Mine was more ambitious - apparently £600 had been spent. I hung up.So many happening now -and not just Amazon, banks too.  Tedious.

Judy Allen ● 1884d

Yes get them all the time. Just don't press any buttons, hang up.

Barbara Stevens ● 1884d

Yes the Prime one is doing the rounds again.  Press 1 if you agree with the amount of £79 (the correct amount btw) that has been debited, or 2 if you do not agree.  Two last week on the same day!  Either choice will connect you to a premium charge telephone line.  I cannot believe all these calls are randomly generated numbers ...

Sue Hammond ● 1884d

"Has anyone on the Forum had similar calls?"Yes, several saying that my Amazon Prime account was being debited tomorrow for £39.99 or similar. And to press 1 or something. Easier for me as I don't have an Amazon Prime account.

David Ainsworth ● 1884d

Yes. Had one yesterday and have had them in the past. I just hang up.

Caroline Whitehead ● 1884d