Amazon Prime Membership and O2 Free Upgrade Scams
Scammers may text, email, or call you stating that your account will be suspended, deleted or that someone has made an expensive purchase using your account. Do not click any links or provide personal information.
Never pay over the phone
Only purchase items on verified pages by typing the address in your web browser, do not click a link contained in emails or texts. Never provide payment information, including gift cards for products or services over the phone.
Prime membership scams:
These are unexpected calls/texts/emails that refer to a costly membership fee or an issue with your membership and ask you to confirm or cancel the charge. These scammers try to convince you to provide payment or bank account information in order to reinstate a membership. Amazon will never ask you to provide payment information for products or services over the phone.
Account suspension/Deletion scams:
Scammers send texts, emails and phone calls stating that your account will be suspended or deleted and prompt you to click on a fraudulent link or verbally provide information to “verify your account.” Customers who land on these pages or receive these phone calls are then lured to provide account information such as payment information or account login credentials.
Amazon will never ask you to disclose your password or verify sensitive personal information over the phone or on any website other than Amazon.co.uk. Please do not click on any links or provide your information to anyone over the phone without authenticating the email or phone call.
The O2 free upgrade scam starts with a cold call from someone claiming to be from O2 offering free upgrades to your account. The deal sounds too good to be true, but is so tempting. As the conversation continues, they will then ask for a one-time passcode, passwords and PINs, or personal information like your bank details. The passcode will arrive from the legitimate O2 with the following messages:
*SECURITY WARNING* The one-time code you requested will arrive shortly. If someone's calling you and asking for a code, please end the call because they DO NOT work for O2.
A second text will follow saying *Be alert to fraud* NEVER share this code, including with O2 staff. Help us protect your O2 account. To retrieve your My O2 account, enter code [**** ****].
The caller will convince you that they sent the message and persuade you to read it out so they can gain access to your account and order expensive phones, changing your personal details and taking over your O2 account, which you will still have to pay for……… NEVER share this code!
Neither of these companies will ask you to provide payment information or personal details over the phone.
Be wary of false urgency
Do not let scammers convince you that you must act now. Scammers may try to create a sense of urgency to persuade you to do what they're asking. Be wary any time someone tries to convince you that you must act now.
Watch out for phishing and voice scams
Scammers may act as Customer Support over the phone or over chat on a website requesting your account password, bank account, or payment information…… Never share this information!
Legitimate companies will not ask for your account password or entire credit card number and they WILL NOT ask to “take over” your screen or device using a remote connection app like AnyDesk. If you install this app they can see EVERYTHING on your device, including bank accounts, passwords, name, address, etc.
