Amazon scam calls on the rise, warns Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau is warning British Columbians about a recent uptick in Amazon scam calls.

Karla Laird, mainland B.C. spokesperson for the BBB, says the organization has received a recent flood of reports about the scam.

“People (are) receiving phone calls claiming to be from Amazon employees, but ultimately they’re trying to get details about their amazon account,” Laird said.

The BBB got about 28 calls about the scam in December, 98 in January, and has already received 40 calls about it the first week of February, she said.

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In addition to asking for information about the target’s Amazon account, the scammers often also try to get their credit card information, she said.

“At the end of the day, we know that’s not how Amazon typically connects with their consumers,” Laird said.

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The BBB is warning the public that Amazon will never ask for a wire transfer payment, payment by iTunes or other gift cards, or unusual methods such as Bitcoin.

She said anyone who gets a scam call like this should report it to the BBB and Amazon.