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Original poster

Amazon scam..almost got caught

142 replies

Dowser · 30/07/2020 21:25

House phone rang and a woman says your amazon prime subscription is due to end, true
She speaks very fast and not a native English speaker and the line is very noisy so I can barely make out what she says
So she says I will help you cancel it.
I ask a question..and she says if you cooperate with me , I will help you cancel it

Now I didn’t like that word...so I’m on red alert .
She wants to know if i have a mobile, tablet or computer ..so I said tablet

So she’s asking me to go into an App Store and download an app

So, I find it..and then in small print, thank god I had my glasses on, I saw , screen sharer

I said, hang on, I’ll have a word with my husband.
He said, that’s not right, it’s a scam, so he took over the call..and I went on amazon website and cancelled the subscription in seconds and screen shotted it.

Anyway he got annoyed with her and put the phone down.
Talk about aggressive, she rang back 5 times
We unplugged the phone in the end

The number was 016 something and looks like it. Could be related to a Vietnamese company vienettel or something . It was a Buxton area code

We put the phone back in again..and another call came through
This time it was 01421 which isn’t assigned to any area.

Anyway, just spoken to my son in law and they had one today too and he was in a shop and heard a guy on the phone getting stroppy with amazon.

I can’t believe how plausible she was..I’d have been more on my guard, if my blooming subscription wasn’t due to end in August.

They are getting too clever these people.

OP posts:
yadayadayesokay · 30/07/2020 22:50

Thanks for the warning OP, I have Prime but hadn’t heard of this scam. I don’t know why some pp are being so snarky, plenty of people can and do get out by these things.

Horehound · 30/07/2020 22:51

Why did you cancel your Amazon subscription?! It has nothing to do with Amazon it's just the company the scammers have chosen to target you with but they haven't exactly infiltrated Amazon.

For god's sake you were stupid enough to not realise it was a scam after "Amazon" called you. Hmm my granny who is 89 got it and she knew it was a scam!

Thisfucker · 30/07/2020 22:52

@BigBadVoodooHat
So she’s asking me to go into an App Store and download an app

So, I find it..and then in small print, thank god I had my glasses on, I saw , screen sharer
Where does Dowser say that she downloaded the app.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General shopping
GrumpyHoonMain · 30/07/2020 22:52

Big clue is that If amazon doesn’t have your landline then they can’t call you using it.

EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide · 30/07/2020 22:52

I agree with @Casmama and @Worraliberty. Just absolutely no need for the bitchiness people, op was trying to help warn people.

MsTSwift · 30/07/2020 22:52

I had one that looked like an email from me and a message from a blackmailer saying he was in my in box and I had to pay him thousands or he would email all my contacts details of the disgusting websites I had visited and videos of me pleasuring myself. Made me laugh my contacts would be bored stiff to be told of the websites I visit! Picked the wrong person there nothing to hide ! (Bar odd look at daily mail online..)

Potatobug · 30/07/2020 22:53

If I suspect a scam I pretend to cooperate then tell them to wait a bit. Then I hold the line for a very long time and say just a minute, bear with me. I repeat this several times until they get bored and hang up.

Thisismytimetoshine · 30/07/2020 22:53

Did you actually cancel your account because they told you to, op?!

yadayadayesokay · 30/07/2020 22:54

@Horehound Why insult the OP? It’s really unnecessary.

BigBadVoodooHat · 30/07/2020 22:55

Read the opening post.

Ok then, if you want to be pedantic: despite being on red alert, she answered the woman's question about the type of device she had, went and got the device, switched it on, searched for the app, was about to download it, then at the last minute took a proper look at it, spotted that it was a screen sharer, and had to consult her husband as she still wasn't sure if it was legit. Hmm

thirdfiddle · 30/07/2020 22:56

I thought it was a bit suspicious that the first time we got the amazon scam call was the month after we accidentally signed up to then cancelled prime. Is there some kind of leak or did they just get lucky? Luckily I'm a suspicious minded sod and just went to check it online.

Horehound · 30/07/2020 22:58

Because it's infuriating that she almost got caught by one when they are so bloody obvious and then to come here to tell us about said obvious scam.
"Oh download an app". Ffs come on. "Have to get my husband." Argh because little woman here Can't. Think.

BellaintheWychElm · 30/07/2020 22:58

@Horehound wtf is wrong with you?

BigBadVoodooHat · 30/07/2020 22:58

[quote Thisfucker]@BigBadVoodooHat
So she’s asking me to go into an App Store and download an app

So, I find it..and then in small print, thank god I had my glasses on, I saw , screen sharer
Where does Dowser say that she downloaded the app.[/quote]
Calm down, love ~ no need to keep quoting the same post back at me. I might start thinking you've got a bit of a thing for me Grin

Thisismytimetoshine · 30/07/2020 22:59

@BigBadVoodooHat

Read the opening post.

Ok then, if you want to be pedantic: despite being on red alert, she answered the woman's question about the type of device she had, went and got the device, switched it on, searched for the app, was about to download it, then at the last minute took a proper look at it, spotted that it was a screen sharer, and had to consult her husband as she still wasn't sure if it was legit. Hmm

But she said she went online and closed her account anyway? Why do that?
Horehound · 30/07/2020 23:00

[quote BellaintheWychElm]@Horehound wtf is wrong with you?[/quote]
I am annoyed at people's stupidity I suppose.

Anyway I hope because she has pisted this that it will stop someone else believing it. I just can't believe someone would fall for it!

AvoidingRealHumans · 30/07/2020 23:02

I'd find it suspicious that amazon want to help me cancel.
All of the subscriptions rely on people forgetting to cancel, its how they make money.
Also why would you need an app to cancel it when you can do it on your amazon account?
Anyway I'm glad you twigged before losing anything.

PickAChew · 30/07/2020 23:02

I got one of them, once. A whole 3 months after renewing. It's up there with the virus on your computer and your broadband isn't as fast as it should be.

WorraLiberty · 30/07/2020 23:03

Fuck me, the victim blaming here is eye watering.

If anyone wants to get angry, have you ever thought about directing it towards the thieving bastards on the other end of the phone? Hmm

yadayadayesokay · 30/07/2020 23:06

@Horehound It may be obvious to some but clearly not all or it wouldn’t be a thing! I hadn’t heard that scammers were impersonating amazon/Prime and whilst I probably wouldn’t have been caught out myself I know that my mum could be so will let her know and appreciate the heads up from OP.

Justanotherlurker · 30/07/2020 23:07

Just absolutely no need for the bitchiness people, op was trying to help warn people.

People are pointing out the obvious naivety of the OP and thinking she has come across some elaborate scam, this type of scam is as old as the Nigerian Millionaire email.

A lot of people on this thread need to brush up on their own internet security if they are thanking the OP. Being harsh is honestly what she needs to hear, especially if she is openly downloading apps.

Maybe just look at one of baiters youtube videos if you are not aware, Kitboga is a friendly one to start with for top level scams.

PickAChew · 30/07/2020 23:07

And we've given up plugging a phone into our land line because, when Ds2 isn't messing with it, all we get is this and mardy glaswegians trying to sell solar panels to someone who lived here 7 years ago then getting shirty when I don't want to take advantage of their generous offer instead (NB, I appreciate that not all glaswegians are mardy but this one was more salty than the Atlantic)

PickAChew · 30/07/2020 23:14

These scammers don't know you have prime. They do know that enough of the people they call have prime to make it worth the effort. And as a pp pointed out, sometimes, even if the scanner sounds plausible, you have to stop and think about whether you've even shared that particular contact with the site in question.

I only set up a PayPal account last year but I've been getting emails alerting me to things I need to do with it for years.

chomalungma · 30/07/2020 23:15

We've had a few work ones where people have got emails saying 'this One Drive file has been shared with you' - and wanting people to enter their One Drive details.

There are so many scams out there - the banks do seem better at preventing fraud by giving you lots of warnings - and contacting you if they think there is an issue with a transaction.

Best one I had was when I got the 'there is something wrong with your PC'. Owing to the nature of work, I had 10 laptops in front of me. Poor guy was perplexed when I asked him which one he wanted me to turn on.

DopamineHits · 30/07/2020 23:17

Watch out OP, you'll probably be marked down as one they nearly reeled in.

Remember that you're not obliged to do anything for anyone just because they have phoned you. And no-one who calls you for any legit reason will be asking you to download an app!