There’s a troubling scam on Amazon in which sellers tempt would-be victims with “used—like new” electronics at temptingly low prices. Beware what’s too good to be true!
Marketplace sellers like Sc-Elegance post incredibly cheap electronics on Amazon. When users try to purchase the item, they receive an error message informing them that the item is no longer available. This message is soon followed by an email–not through Amazon’s messaging system–from the merchant who claims that the error message was just a mistake. The seller then provides a link that leads to a site that looks very similar to Amazon’s payment site.
The site is a fake: a well-crafted fake for tricking users into giving away their credit card or banking information.
Sc-Elegance has repeatedly pulled this trick on Amazon, but they’re not the only one; there are a few variations on this scam. One internet sleuth corresponded with the sellers via email and was linked to an imitation of the Amazon payment screen—with the only payment option being a bank transfer to an individual unaffiliated with Amazon. Other scammers leave a note in the description of the item that the user must contact them via email to purchase it.
One of the phishy hallmarks of these scams is that the sellers ask the user to leave the Amazon framework and contact them through email–that’s not how legitimate Amazon transactions work. Another red flag is the bait itself: if an offer is too good to be true, it probably is.
If you see phishy payment screens, do NOT enter your information. Report the scam to Amazon at stop-spoofing@amazon.com.
Think B4 U Click!