Iowa, Don’t Fall for This Scary Amazon Scam

It's not every day that you almost get scammed.

On Friday afternoon, I was taking a quick nap before going out for dinner with some friends when I got a strange call.

The caller ID said that whoever was calling me was from Anchorage, Alaska.

I don't know ANYONE from Alaska...

Usually if I see an unfamiliar number, I just ignore it. If it's important enough or legitimate they'll call me back. I was half asleep when the call came in, so I picked it up on reflex.

This person claimed her name was Jodie Underwood and said a strange purchase was made on my Amazon account. She knew my name (and obviously my number), so I was curious as to where this would go.

I knew not to believe a word this woman said. She claimed that a purchase was made on my account for a laptop worth around a thousand dollars. Quickly I checked my recent purchases on Amazon and saw nothing, so I knew this was a scam.

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This woman who claimed her name was Jodie Underwood gave me an employee identification number and case number for the incident. After confirming that I did not in fact order a thousand-dollar laptop, she started asking me questions.

She was clearly asking questions that would gain access to my account. The only answer I gave before hanging up was an incorrect zip code.

Luckily, I knew in my gut that that was a scam caller, so I didn't give up too much info.

Iowans have to be vigilant when navigating online shopping these days. According to reports, Iowans lost approximately $30 million to fraud in 2022 alone.

Red Flags to Look Out For

According to reports, there are some red flags you can look out for if you ever find yourself suspicious of a call.

• Do not answer calls from suspicious phone numbers
• Do not share personal info over the phone
• HANG UP if you receive a recorded call from Amazon
• Be cautious of callers who are requiring immediate action

My phone call was not from a recorded line, but it was from a suspicious number AND they required immediate action. Looking back, I should not have even picked up the phone. Luckily, I went into the call already a little suspicious and just genuinely curious on how it would go.

If you experience a similar phone call scam like this, you can even report it to Amazon here.

What Do I Do If I Do Fall for the Scam?

First things first, make sure to change your passwords for your accounts. If you can block them out before they even get into your account, then you'll save yourself a whole lot of headaches.

If they do manage to get in, make sure to reach out to your bank are linked up to your bank account AND make sure to change your password. There have been instances where family members have gotten hacked, and I usually tell them to change all of their passwords just in case.

You should do this if you have a tendency to use the same password for everything.

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