THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT ISSUED A SCAM ALERT TODAY CONCERNING FAKE AMAZON CALLS

Impostors posing as online retailer Amazon have been bombarding U.S. consumers with up to 150 million robocalls a month, warns YouMail Inc., an Irvine, California-based firm that tracks scam calls and offers robocall-blocking apps. The calls skyrocketed during the three-month period ending in April, the company says.

Perhaps you’ve gotten one of the nuisance calls. An alert purports there has been a suspicious charge on your account — say, for $1,499 — and suggests what steps to take next. These steps invariably spell trouble, so it’s best to hang up. If you are concerned, contact the megaretailer. The Amazon-scam robocalls tend to start with someone saying there has been suspicious activity on your account, and then he asks you to press 1 or call another phone number. Next, the scammer may ask for your Amazon account information. Or he may ask to help you by taking over control of your computer via software that lets him gain access to your credit card, banking and other sensitive information — so he can steal your identity and your money.

• Do not respond to any incoming robocalls claiming to be from Amazon or another trusted brand. And don’t follow instructions to press 1 or call another number.
• Be suspicious of robocalls or other communications with bad grammar or stilted language.