New phone scam targeting Amazon customers

AUSTIN, Texas - A new phone scam is targeting people who shop on Amazon. 

The call seems like it could be from the online retail giant, but it's really from a scammer. 

What we know:

If you've bought something on Amazon in the past few days, you're far from alone—and that's exactly what scammers are banking on. 

People have been receiving an automated call recently, regarding a purchase that was supposedly made on Amazon that day. 

The message says: "You have been charged $1279.99 on your default card saved on amazon.com. If you have not made any such transaction, then please press 1 to cancel your order. If you have made this purchase on amazon.com and recognize it, then please press 2 to confirm your order. Or to talk to our customer care please press 3."

What they're saying:

"The bigger the company, the bigger the target," said Jason Meza of the Better Business Bureau Serving the Heart of Texas. "[Amazon is] one of the most impostered companies in America at this point."

"It's tough for people to figure out, is it really Amazon calling me?" added Meza. "The confusing part of this scam is that yes, Amazon does make some outbound calls. But they won't be soliciting personal information, passwords, things like that. They're simply going to be confirming a purchase or just making sure that delivery happens."

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In a statement, Amazon said: 

"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."

What you can do:

When it comes to calls like this, the Better Business Bureau says look out for red flags. Be skeptical if it's inbound and unsolicited, it involves some sort of immediate call for action, or asks you to use an unsecured method of payment. 

"They will ask for something. They want something out of your personal details," said Meza. "They want to get some information and steal money or your data."

If you get a call that feels sketchy, the BBB says play it safe. 

"Hang up, delete, ignore. Instead, go out and solicit details yourself, go onto Amazon yourself, use your app. That way you're beginning the process of researching that and not taking the bait," said Meza. 

To report a scam to Amazon, click here.