A gamer bought a graphics card on Amazon. But instead, he received a message from the seller. The community warns him not to respond or pay. Because he will never see his money again, and certainly not a graphics card. MeinMMO explains what this scam is all about.
Christmas is just around the corner and many people are waiting for great deals around Black Friday. The search for bargains is also “worth it” for scammers who target the money of unsuspecting customers.
A popular scam on Amazon is regularly used, as a user on reddit has recently shown again.
Scammers want to lure you away from Amazon
A user complained on reddit that he had bought a graphics card on Amazon. But instead, he received an email stating that they could not send him the graphics card because his payment method was not supported.
On reddit, the community directly warns him of fraud. Because behind the message from Amazon lurks a nasty scam. A user says on reddit he should report the offer directly to protect other customers.
What kind of scam is this? Simply put, scammers try to lure you away from Amazon.
- In their offers, the scammers often write that you should contact the seller via email.
- Often, the purchase on Amazon is canceled by the seller, and you receive an email indicating that you should proceed with the purchase differently.
- Or they provide you with a bank account number to transfer the corresponding amount.
- In all cases, these are third-party sellers, so not Amazon itself, but sellers who only use Amazon as a platform.
No matter what these emails say, do not engage with the demands! Because they only want to achieve that you leave Amazon’s secure system and no longer pay directly through Amazon. Because you will not see your paid money again outside of Amazon, and you won’t receive the goods anyway.
Why do these offers look good? Often, these are shops that have been hijacked by hackers and are now being misused for fraud. For this reason, these shops initially appear trustworthy:
- Often there are good reviews.
- There is a Facebook page.
- Phone numbers and an imprint that complies with German law.
However, there are a few simple ways to quickly recognize the fraud.
Watch out for too good offers
How can you recognize such offers? In most cases, the offers are too good to be true. An RTX 3080 for 500 euros? An RX 6700 XT for 300 euros? You should question such offers immediately. Additionally, there are further indications of such dangerous deals:
- The imprint and linked websites are often poorly maintained and many years old. Facebook pages often have not received any posts for years.
- The mentioned phone numbers are unreachable, or you end up somewhere else because the provider has since reassigned the number.
- Often such scammers offer a whole range of articles at absurd prices, usually high-priced products. You might find graphics cards alongside dishwashers or branded bicycles.
Especially now, during the pre-Christmas season, many scammers try to get the money of careless customers. So be careful when buying your Christmas gifts, because with such supposed deals, you will only get a lot of trouble.
