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Watch Out for Fake Amazon and Apple Calls

June 15, 2021

Man contemplating a message on his phone

One of the more frequent scams we’ve seen lately is fake calls from Apple and Amazon support. Here’s what those scams look like and what you can do to protect yourself.

In the Amazon scheme, fraudsters call to inform you of a suspicious purchase, a lost package, or an order they can’t fulfill. The Apple scam is a phony call or voicemail message from “Apple Support” informing you that there’s suspicious activity in your Apple iCloud account or that your account has been breached. In both cases, the scammers create a false sense of urgency to instill fear.

The scammers then ask you to press 1 to speak with a representative or give you a phone number to call. Don’t do either one. That fake representative will ask you to buy gift cards as a way to secure your account. Then they’ll ask for the gift card numbers as proof. Once this is done, it’s too late. The scammers now have free Amazon and Apple gift cards and you will be unable to recover your funds.

Tips to Avoid this Scam

  • If you get an unexpected call from Amazon or Apple about a problem, hang up.
  • Don’t press 1 to speak with the phony representative.
  • Don’t call the fake phone number provided.
  • Never give your personal information to anyone who calls you unexpectedly.
  • And NEVER buy gift cards to secure your bank account or as a form of payment.

If you think there actually may be a problem with your Amazon or Apple account, log in to your account and contact the company through their online support channels.

If you suspect fraud, please let us know at 1 (800) 479-7928. Find more resources here.

Learn how to protect your accounts from wire fraud, check fraud, romance scams, and more by visiting our online security center at redwoodcu.org/security.