Scammers spoofing BBB phone number pose as Amazon

Scammers are using a main phone number for BBB Oakland, 866-411-2221 and claiming there was a fraudulent order, a problem with a credit card, an issue with a person’s account or any tactic that will fool people into giving up their personal information.

A recorded message claiming to be from Amazon asks for personal information or access to the computer to help solve the problem. Hang up!

There are currently five local victims of this scam on Scam Tracker (https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker).

Scams calls are up! Why are there so many scams?

Scammers are losing money during the pandemic with fewer victims and more people watching their spending.

Caller ID can fool people. What can be done about unwanted calls?

Do not answer calls from an unknown number whether it is associated with caller ID or not. Don’t be fooled by this technology. Scammers scam those they can. Don’t be one of the victims.

How avoid being scammed:

Have hard rules about answering calls and especially about sharing personal information. Never purchase gift cards to pay for a government imposter scam. Government agencies do not work that way.

Keep up to date on the latest scams happening in the area at BBB Scam Tracker. Report scams here as well and help warn others.

How do they get a person’s number in the first place?

Scammers use auto dialers to call numbers randomly or in number order, so it is just a matter of time before a number comes up. That’s why it is wise to be ready. The FTC’s Do Not Call registry helps somewhat but businesses must sign up to receive the lists of numbers not wanting calls and purge their lists of those numbers. Scammers don’t do this. The majority of scams originate out of the country.

If the call, text or email looks like it came from someone known, how does one tell the difference?

For emails: hover over the email address. It should reveal the email of the sender. But don’t stop there. The email could have been compromised (hacked). Does it sound like something the person sending it would say? Is there an urgent request or does the message say not to let anyone know they are contacting you? These are red flags of scams. Call the sender and ask if they sent the message.

For text messages: Be aware that scammers take the time to befriend people before asking for information. Some may use scare tactics to get someone to cooperate. If the message looks like it came from a friend, call the friend and ask if they sent the message.

For a phone call: if they claim to be with the Social Security Office, Police Department or Sheriff’s Office, IRS or any government agency, know that these agencies do not make personal calls. Ever. To anyone. Don’t answer if the caller is not known. If caller ID spoofing is used, it may show up as someone familiar. Once answering it not the person it is supposed to be, hang up Do not engage with the callers.