The gendarmerie warns of a new scam involving “Amazon” items

Scammers are using Amazon to extract money from customers individual. A new practice which causes many victims in France.

Police are warning of a new form of fraud, linked to e-commerce giant Amazon. A gendarmerie from Haute-Savoie has indeed spotted recently a new stratagem aimed at extort money from individuals looking for good deals. If this operating mode is still little known   could have been revealed, it's because scammers simply tried it on the wrong person:  a specialized gendarme in the hunt for scams. Chief Warrant Officer Nicolas Renaud, who operates for the judicial support unit of the Haute-Savoie departmental gendarmerie group, has in fact received a fine April, à his home in Annecy, a letter signed from Amazon which, ' at first sight, thanked him for his loyalty. and invited him to test a new product in exchange for a voucher (up to 40 euros).

But the gendarme is not fooled, he noticed several inconsistencies. "What tipped me off? the ear is the quality of the ear support, printing, the closing words of the letter: 'all my best wishes', and above all an email address which did not correspond at all to “Amazon,” he said. &agrav; Franceinfo. It's finally by showing the mail ' his colleagues that the investigations have begun.

According to the first elements of the investigation, the scammers pose as Amazon employees and send by post a letter offering remuneration in exchange for a test product. A QR Code, also previously ;feels on the letter, invites the particular à accept the test. By flashing the QR Code, victims are sent to a site which asks them to provide as much personal information as possible (name, first name, address, bank card number etc.).

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© National Gendarmerie

À Based on this information, the scammers contact the victim, this time pretending to be their bank advisor. On the phone, they say they have spotted suspicious movements on the victim's account and ask them to validate banking transactions, to then extract money from them. In some cases, criminals succeed in their crimes. extract several thousand euros from their interlocutor, who obviously thinks they are dealing with sa bank.

A scam that starts in the mailbox, çit seems a little outdated. In reality, this allows scammers to slip through the cracks. A postal letter also seems more official, which is what often deceives victims. Especially since when the scammers finally make contact with them, they are able to attack them. to give personal information that a banking advisor has in his possession. And above all, the victims remember the form stamped with it. "Amazon", which they received a few weeks ago. A token of confidence…

By the time they understand what's happening to them, the money has already gone. transit on another account, very often outside the borders of the EU, which does not facilitate the work of investigators. According to the gendarme, "it's more and more difficult, because criminals exploit the evolution of society' and its weaknesses. […] There is also an evolution in the banking landscape, because now, in a few clicks, you can make almost instantaneous transfers to your bank. abroad, while we, the gendarmes, it takes several days, even several weeks to locate and try to block the funds which would have gone abroad. abroad.