I just randomly received 3 gift card emails in a row (within a minute) from amazon ([email protected]) and I am really confused by this. All of the emails open with ` Thank you for purchasing <name of company> gift cards from Amazon.com.` With the cards being MasterCard, google play and hotels.com. I have never purchased a gift card from amazon and my account does not show any purchases today, so could anyone help me figure out what the hell is going on here?
On a daily basis, numerous emails claiming to be Amazon order confirmations flood my inbox. While some of them are clearly fake and are promptly deleted, there are a few that are quite convincing and it’s easy to see how individuals can be deceived. The persistence of these messages suggests that people are indeed being fooled.
In this guide, I will outline the steps to identify deceitful emails that masquerade as being from Amazon, the intentions of these cybercriminals, and how to respond to such messages. To recognize these fraudulent messages, there are a few indicators to watch out for. Firstly, observe the sender’s address. Most email applications now hide the full email address of senders, and instead display the name that the sender chose to use. If you receive an email with the sender name “Amazon” or “Amazon Order,” you should not assume it to be authentic.
Unveiling the complete email address (which can be done by clicking on a little arrow next to the name in some email programs) is often the first hint that something is amiss.
In the presented email, the address provided is a clear instance: [email protected].
Customer support emails from Amazon will not be sent using the .art domain. If you’re in the U.K., Amazon order confirmation emails will originate from [email protected]. In the U.S., the email address will end with Amazon.com. ART removed the amazonhelp.art domain right away after reading the article.
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The email mentioned above contains conspicuous errors that authentic Amazon emails would never make. For instance, the line that reads “Call our Toll-Free” is abruptly cut off and followed by another line that urges you to dial a number (we will revisit this issue shortly).
The package’s intended destination is evidently incorrect, lacking even the most basic information such as the name of the street.
Amazon would not have permitted the typos found in other parts of the email. These errors, in conjunction with other indicators, demonstrate that this email is not authentic. You may question why these messages are being sent at all. What exactly are the senders aiming to accomplish?
The email in question pertains to an order confirmation for a brand new iPhone. The intention of this message is to incite a sense of dread within the recipient – that an unauthorized purchase has been made on their behalf for a costly device, and that it is being shipped to an address that is not their own. The perpetrators behind this scam are banking on the recipient’s instinctual response to take swift action in order to cancel the order.
The telephone number is a crucial part of this scam. It’s important to note that the number provided is not a legitimate Amazon line. In fact, a quick Google search will reveal that others have reported it as fraudulent. The scammers are banking on the fact that you will call this number to cancel the order, and this is where they will strike. They will likely ask for personal information, such as your name, address, and credit card number, all under the guise of “security reasons.” Once they have this information, your identity has been compromised, and the likelihood of your credit card being used fraudulently increases significantly.
