Amazon Prime customers are being warned about a new scam.
It has been reported scammers are impersonating Amazon Prime to gain access to customer's devices and steal personal information such as bank details, according to consumer rights website Which?. To carry out the scam, fraudsters are said to be calling customers out of the blue.
The scam involves fraudsters ringing from an unrecognised number. Then when a person answers, the scammer will tell them their Amazon Prime subscription is going up in price or is about to expire.
If a customer then tells the scammer they want to cancel their subscription the person will be put through to another fraudster.
The victim will then be told to download a remote access software on their device. According to Which?, this is typically an app called AnyDesk, which is a genuine programme, however scammers sometimes use this software as a way of exploiting people.
After a customer has downloaded the program, the fraudster has access to the device. This allows them to steal personal information on the device and install malware software, risking the person losing money and personal details.
On its website, Which? said: "Amazon confirmed to Which? that it will never ask customers to provide remote access to their devices or make any payments outside of its website."
If the customers device has been accessed by the scammer via the remote access software, the remote session should be ended as soon as possible by pressing a button which states "disconnect session", or something similar. Another option is to turn off the device and wi-fi to stop the fraudster in their tracks.
When the device is switched back on, the software can be removed by looking in the recent downloads folder. The victim should also contact their bank right away as this might have been accessed by the fraudster.
