The consumer rights champion has discovered a fake Amazon advert and website that claims to sell ‘unwanted stock’ – but this is nothing to do with Amazon
Which? has warned Amazon Prime Day shoppers to beware of scam websites that are designed to steal your money.
The consumer rights champion has discovered a fake Amazon advert and website that claims to sell “unwanted stock” – but this website has nothing to do with Amazon.
The advert reads: “Take advantage of the great savings that come with the large warehouses that are massively and aggressively clearing out slow-moving stock.”
Which? says the advert leads to a dodgy website that was created on May 30. The text on the website reads: “Limited time clearance-online warehouse discount!
“Explore tens of thousands of products at unbeatable prices, with hassle-free returns and refunds and a one-year warranty. All products ship directly from our Amazon warehouse, from tools and lawn mowers to grills, vacuums, microwaves, luggage, patio sofas, clothing and kitchen items, electronics and more.”
The warning from Which? comes as Amazon Prime Day kicks off from July 8 until July 11. You can find all the best legitimate Amazon Prime Day deals from the Mirror shopping team.
Amazon told Which?: “These are not legitimate Amazon messages, and scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk. We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance.
“We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”
Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Law Expert, said: “Shoppers will need to keep their wits about them as scammers are using Amazon Prime Day as a hook to part people from their hard-earned cash.
“Which? has seen several scam ads on social media which lead to a fake Amazon website. Treat any deals which look too good to be true with suspicion and don’t click on any links. You can visit the Amazon website directly to confirm if the deal is genuine.
“You can report any suspicious social media posts by clicking on the three dots at the side of the post and selecting ‘report’ and dodgy websites can be reported to the National Cyber Security Centre.
“If you’ve given any card details, contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card.”
How to report a scam
If you’ve found a dodgy website, you can report it to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). For scam emails, forward them to [email protected]. If you’ve received a scam text message, you can forward it to 7726 for free.
If you think you’ve been called by a scammer, never give them your personal details. Hang up immediately and search for the contact details online of the place you’re supposedly being called from.
Never call back the number given to by the caller. If you think a scammer has got hold of your bank details, contact your bank straight away.
You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect you to your bank. You should also change any passwords that may have been compromised.
If you’ve lost money or have been hacked following a scam, you should report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland by calling 101.