Attorney General Chris Carr is cautioning Georgians about several imposter scams that are making the rounds.
“Scammers may try to gain your confidence by posing as a legitimate company or government agency,” warns Attorney General Carr. “Consumers should be very wary of unsolicited text messages, emails and phone calls and avoid providing sensitive information, clicking on links, or downloading file attachments unless they know for a fact that the sender or caller is who they claim to be.”
Below are descriptions of several imposter scams to look out for:
Order Confirmation Scams
One imposter scam making the rounds takes the form of an automated phone message from a major company (such as Walmart, Amazon, Costco or Target) confirming a recent purchase you supposedly made for a big-ticket item totaling several thousand dollars. You are told that a shipment confirmation will follow shortly at which time your credit card on file will be automatically charged. The message asks you to call a phone number if you did not make the transaction in question or to report an unauthorized transaction. If you dial the number, you will likely be asked to provide your account credentials or payment information so that your account can be “credited.” The scammers will then use that information to steal your money or commit identity theft. This scam can also occur via email or text message.
To avoid this scam, do not call the number provided or click on any links. Instead, log-in to your online account with the retailer, or contact the company through a verified telephone number or website to see if, in fact, there was an unauthorized charge made to your account.
Sweepstakes Scam
Scammers call or mail a letter to consumers saying they have won a cash prize in a sweepstakes. The scammer may claim to be a representative from a government agency or indicate that the sweepstakes has been “approved” by a federal law enforcement agency, such as the Office of the Attorney General. The consumers are informed that in order to collect their prize, they must first pay various fees–usually via wire transfer, gift cards or prepaid cards–to cover taxes or handling fees.
First and foremost, consumers should know that if you are asked to pay money to collect a prize, no matter what the reason, it is a scam. Being asked to wire money or pay via gift cards or prepaid cards is another red flag of a scam. Furthermore, the Attorney General’s Office does not endorse sweepstakes.
Amazon AirPods Raffle Scam
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division has also received complaints about text messages that purport to be from Amazon and claim that you have won a pair of AirPods in an Amazon Raffle. The text contains a link to click for more information. Do not click on the link. Doing so could load malware onto your device or lead you to a phishing website that prompts you for personal information, such as your Amazon login and password.
