Con artists make a living by lying. They impersonate debt collectors, bank employees, and IRS agents. They also find it lucrative to pretend to be customer service representatives.
Customer service imposters use bogus email and text messages, and make contact directly via robocalls. Con artists find that the telephone to be a valuable tool for reaching out and scamming people. These robocalls are designed to get your attention and make you want to talk to a bogus customer service agent.
“We have noticed a suspicious order from your Amazon account for an iPhone 12 pro for an amount of $999, scheduled to be delivered to Orlando, Florida. If you haven’t placed this order, then please press one to speak to a representative immediately.”
Because of its massive customer base, Amazon is the company most often impersonated by customer service scammers. But these crooks will use any brand name that is instantly recognizable and likely to be trusted.
“Dear Bank of America customer, we found some suspicious activity on your Bank of America account. Your Bank of America debit card has been charged at $1,998 on suspicious merchandise. If you did not authorize this transaction, please press one to connect with Bank of America fraud specialist for dispute.”
“Hearing that a big purchase you didn’t make is being charged to your account is really motivating,” said Aaron Foss, creator of Nomorobo, the popular robocall blocking service. “When you’re scared, you’re more likely to do something that seems a little bit out of the ordinary, like giving money to a stranger on the phone.”
If you take the bait, you’ll be connected to a con artist who promises to take care of everything. Before you know it, you’ll be headed down a rabbit hole that doesn’t end until the fraudsters get your money.
They might ask for a credit card number, wire transfer, or money transfer using a P2P app (such as Zelle or Venmo). They may tell you to go to the store and buy pre-paid gift cards. In some cases, when all else fails, they will urge you to send cash via FedEx or U.S. Mail. (They really do that!)
“Look, Amazon is not going to call you and tell you that there is an incorrect charge on your account, neither is Apple, Walmart, or Best Buy,” Foss said. “If you get these calls— hang up!”
Most victims to customer service scams lose $500 to $1,500 in these customer service imposter scams, Foss told Checkbook. But the losses can be much greater – tens of thousands of dollars – when the crooks are able to convince people to allow them to install remote access software on their computers.
“They’ll say they just need to check your bank account and make sure there are no other fraudulent transactions,” Foss explained. “Before you know it, you get caught up in this scam, and that crook is using your computer to drain your bank account. “
Hang up on any customer service representative who asks you for remote access to your device. No legitimate representative would ever ask you do to that.
More Info: Fraud Alert: Customer Service Imposter Scams
Herb Weisbaum, The ConsumerMan, is a contributing editor at Consumers’ Checkbook and host of their new Consumerpedia podcast. Herb is one of America’s top consumer experts; an Emmy award-winning broadcaster who has been protecting consumers for more than 40 years. His website is ConsumerMan.com.
