A 70-year-old retired charity volunteer from Westbury, Wiltshire, has spoken out about his £1,800 loss in an 'authentic' Amazon impersonation scam that highlights the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by fraudsters. Dorian Jones's experience serves as a stark reminder to be vigilant and aware of the tactics used by scammers.
Mr Jones initially harboured suspicions about the caller but was ultimately deceived when a second fraudster intervened, seemingly authenticating the first as a genuine Amazon representative. The scam began with a call from an individual claiming Mr Jones's Amazon account was being used to purchase two smartphones, which were indeed visible in his online basket.
Despite a 'very crackly' phone line, the scammer possessed an 'incredible' amount of personal information, including details about his family and schooling, which helped build credibility. The caller even advised him to hang up regularly, claiming they were being 'listened to' by other scammers, which paradoxically made Mr Jones feel he was 'in safer hands.'
His doubts resurfaced when he was instructed to type numbers into his phone's keypad to 'cancel the scammers' and received fabricated text messages purporting to be from his bank. However, the crucial turning point came when a second individual called him while on the call with the first fraudster. Believing this second person to be an official Amazon representative, Mr Jones put both calls together, and the 'official' staff member then vouched for the initial caller's legitimacy.
Amazon states it never asks customers to download software, share remote access to devices, or make payments outside of its official website or app. The company has been in contact with Mr Jones to help secure his account, which was compromised through 12 separate transactions totalling £1,800 from two of his bank accounts.
Wiltshire Police are actively investigating the incident and have issued a warning about the dangers of scams. Simon Goodwin, the force's cybercrime prevention officer, highlighted that scams represent the most common crime in the UK. He cautioned against clicking unsolicited links via email, text, or QR codes, or downloading any apps if requested.