Heads up! Amazon Phishing Scam!

[yella_dawg]

I just got an email from Amazon.com requiring that I validate account information due to a problem with billing. As it turns out, I have been having problems getting my card charges through and have been pulling out my hair for weeks. I got suckered, almost.

I have an MS in Computer Science and did significant research on various forms of computer crime in school. I'm no easy mark for phishers. These guys almost got me. They're really good. The only tipoff was some overly aggressive wording in the closing paragraph of the message. They found workarounds for the most obvious signs of phishing (their website address looks just like Amazons', except for a '.' where there should be a '/', I missed it at first.)

Heads up and spread this around.

[AzDar]

1. I got one too. The only thing that tipped me off was the incorrect

capitalization of the word 'due' in the middle of a sentence. I had clicked through their link, and was getting ready to enter my account password when I realized it just wasn't "right".I notified Amazon, and sure enough, it was bogus. Scary, because the page was VERY authentic-looking!(This was on Monday).

[spindrifter]

2. Thanks

I got a weird email from "Amazon" a few days ago and will see if I still have it.

[derby378]

3. That happens with eBay and PayPal all the time

I just turn those phishers in to the appropriate fraud response team and let the attorneys and counterphishers take it from there.

[NV Whino]

4. Thanks for the info

I think the real key is when they (anyone) starts asking you to verify your account information via e-mail. This seems to be the common denominator with all the phishing scams.

1. DO NOT follow the links in the e-mail
2. If you want to check your account information, or more importantly, report the scam to the site being used, type the address into your browser yourself.

[ps1074]

5. Amazon never sends such requests

Never ever trust any email requesting you validate billing info.

[yella_dawg]

10. Where I got in trouble

was because this message so neatly dovetailed with a real problem on Amazon. My bank was randomly rejecting charges (several used books bought at the same time) as an invalid account number. Ordinarily I would have been much more skeptical.

And these guys were really good.

[gkhouston]

16. Yes. If it sounds plausible, I contact them independently --

I look up the phone number or website and initiate contact through a standard channel. I don't use links or phone numbers from the suspect email. Takes a little longer to get to the right place if it's a valid email, but the extra caution is well worth it.

[madame defarge]

6. Hope you told Amazon about it...

I got some weird emails from *them* a few weeks ago and did contact Amazon, who were very appreciative and are trying to resolve the problem. Also have been receiving phishing messages from PayPal...so watch for those too.

[yella_dawg]

12. I did.

Immediately.

[napi21]

7. Thanks. There's also another very well done one going around.

You get an email that looks like it's a question from an Ebay customer to you as a seller. It says something similar to this: "I tried to place a bid on the Sony DVD player you had listed on Ebay, but I can't find it right now. Can you please tell me if you still have it?"

IT has the yellow REPLY TO THIS button, and since you know you never sell this kind of stuff, your instinct is to click REPLY and tell the customer that. When you REPLY, you are taken to a site that looks exactly like Ebay and you have to sign in with your ID and PW. Of course, it's NOT an Ebay site at all.

I've gotten about 10 of these so far, and even Bob Brinker, the money guy on KGO, had a guest last Sat who said this is one of the best scams he's ever seen. BE CAREFUL!!!!!!

[npincus]

8. I got one re: an eBay auction I didn't bid on

claiming I was the winner and the money would be paid thru my paypal acoount... it took me to a false "PayPal" site where I was supposed to log-in with my password and ID in order to contact their "administrators".

I'm not a computer person, but could smell the stink of this obvious scam a mile away. Never, ever click on a link through an email. If you receive any email from any entity that you do business with or belong to, always type the URL into a new browser yourself and confirm what is going on with your account at the site that way.

Anyway, I reported the scam to eBay and contacted the person who's auction I had "won", informing them that a scammer was using their name.

[Branjor]

9. I got the same one....

Contacted Amazon about it 5 days ago and heard nothing back from them.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Should be using Barnes & Noble...they're blue.

[yella_dawg]

15. Sorry.

I am very politically conscious. I shop locally even if it costs me money. I buy American (what little of it I can find). And I worship Amazon.com. I've been a customer since the very beginning and I ain't gonna change.

[yorkiemommie1]

18. b & n always for me!

love 'em.

[RebelOne]

13. I love to get those things.

Where they ask for personal info, I put in obscenities. Such as Dickhead for user name and f**king crooks for a password.

[spindrifter]

14. Thanks--I feel like anidiot for not noticing.

[VaYallaDawg]

17. Thanks for the tipoff! n/t

[yella_dawg]

19. ..

[PetraPooh]

20. Also watch for MAILINGs instructing you to check out your

sudden drop in Credit status. I got one in the mail, telling me to sign on directly to find out why my credit had a "dramatic" recent change. Instead I called the only CC company I have, and asked if they were having any recent problems with my credit rating and informed them of the letter. They checked and everything is fine, so I never signed on. Turns out good for me. BUT as I had JUST put a very large purchase on the CC and being the present buying season, they almost had me.

[ima_sinnic]

21. always just ignore e-mails "warning" about your account

--I get them all the time from banks I don't even have accounts with, from PayPal, and from eBay (warning that my account is going to become defunct). I always ignore them, figuring if there really is a problem with my account it will become obvious later and at that time I will work it out. Since no "problem" ever does become "obvious" I guess they were all scams.

[no_hypocrisy]

22. Me too. But here's the thing:

The webpage you are clicked to LOOKS JUST LIKE AMAZON re. graphics, colors, etc. They ask you to type in your password. The situation wasn't like I did it because I was asked. It was a very close replica.

AOL stopped me before anything happened.

Amazon has a page that describes phishing expeditions. Be sure to report your unfortunate encounter to them.

[LibertyLover]

23. Phishing

I got one like that which said it was from Amazon.com also. Since I had recently made some purchases it ws plausible, except that the email said they had been called by my bank about the recent Amazon charges. My credit card is not through my bank so that was the tip off. I called Amazon just to confirm, and then reported the spam to my IP. I get them from eBay and PayPal occassionally too, and do the same, report them to my IP. Damn those miserable phishermen.