Norfolk County Council Trading Standards is warning consumers to be wary of scam telephone that claim to be from online retailer Amazon.
Residents have contacted trading standards about cold calls and recorded messages designed to extract personal information from the recipient.
The calls include a fraudulent warning that the recipient’s account has been hacked, while some state that £79.99 is due to be taken from the recipient’s account to renew their Amazon Prime membership. Another call claims that the recipient’s account is in arrears.
The calls encourage people to ‘press 1 to speak to an advisor’; when the recipient does this, they are connected to a person who attempts to gather personal information or financial details.
In some cases, callers have also attempted to persuade call recipients to allow them remote access to computers to ‘process refunds’.
Norfolk Trading Standards is advising that the calls are a scam. If you receive one do not give or confirm any details, or allow remote access to computers; just hang up.
If you have received a telephone cold call which you believe to be a scam you should report it to your local, to Citizens Advice consumer via their online reporting form or by telephone on 03454 04 05 06.
