With Amazon's Big Deal Days sales event driving a surge in online orders, many shoppers will soon be tracking multiple deliveries. Unfortunately, that's also when fraudsters often ramp up efforts to send fake delivery alerts designed to steal personal information.
Consumers say suspicious package notifications have become a regular occurrence.
"I've seen the delayed packages message, yeah," one shopper told us.
Others reported receiving messages claiming they owed money on a delivery, or needed to call a phone number to receive a delivery.
WATCH as we learn how easy it now is it confirm an Amazon text message:
Amazon launches new verification feature
Because Amazon is one of the most frequently impersonated brands by scammers, the company has introduced a new feature through Alexa for Shopping that allows customers to verify whether a text message, email or phone call actually came from Amazon.
According to Amazon spokesperson Abigail Bishop, the tool cross-checks customer inquiries against Amazon's communication records to determine whether a message is legitimate.
Customers can ask questions such as:
- "Did Amazon send me a text about a delivery problem yesterday?"
- "Is this email about my Prime membership from Amazon real?"
- "Someone texted me from this phone number about a package. Is that Amazon?"
If additional details are needed, Alexa may ask for information such as the phone number that contacted you and when the message was received.
Scammers count on urgency
While fake delivery notifications often spike during major online shopping events, experts say delivery scams happen year-round and can impersonate virtually any company.
Consumers should never:
- Open suspicious email attachments.
- Share account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords or PINs.
- Respond directly to unexpected delivery texts or emails.
"Scammers often will push you to take action. And if you're feeling that pressure, take a beat," Bishop said.
CLICK HERE to learn more about how to check out a text message via Alexa for Shopping.
The safest way to check a delivery alert
If you're uncertain whether a delivery message is genuine, experts recommend logging directly into your Amazon account to verify any issue rather than clicking links or replying to texts.
Many shoppers say they simply delete suspicious messages immediately.
One mom told us she not only deletes questionable delivery texts, but also reminds her daughters to do the same.
That's a smart way to avoid becoming the next victim of a delivery scam and losing money to fraud.
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