Through a simple phone call, hackers could steal personal data or passwords. They can use very varied strategies and Artificial Intelligence is one more weapon they could use. We are going to explain to you how they could impersonate the identity of Amazon, as a recognized company, to put your security and privacy at risk. We are going to explain to you what you should do to avoid falling into the trap.
The goal is for you to be able to identify these types of fraudulent calls and not make it easier for attackers. Think that hackers can use very varied strategies and nowadays it is very easy for them to make mass calls and use the name of recognized brands.
What are fake calls from Amazon
But what exactly are these fake Amazon calls? What they are doing is making a call in which they generate the voice through Artificial Intelligence. They use machine learning to continually improve and know what is best to scam the victim and achieve the goal.
Keep in mind that calls generated by AI today seem very natural. Even though they are generated by software, they can go unnoticed, as if there were really a person speaking. When you pick up, you may not be able to quickly differentiate whether it is a person speaking or not.
What they do is say that there has been some problem with the account. For example, there is an error with an invoice issued and if you do not solve it, they will close your account. They are going to present themselves as Amazon technical support. They will say that they have been analyzing your account and have detected some error, hence the call.
This is usually accompanied, previously, by a message that they will send you. It can be an SMS or an email. Of course, to do this they need to know what your email is. They achieve this in case there has been a leak. In that email or SMS, they will send you a link to supposedly solve the problem. At the same time they will call you on the phone, so that you believe it is more real, and thus complete the scam.
When you enter that link, you will actually end up on a fake website, created simply with the aim of stealing passwords and personal data. A Phishing attack, basically. The difference is that they will also use calls to enhance the scam.
Avoid making mistakes
The first thing you should know is that neither Amazon, nor any other platform, is going to request confidential data through a call or through a link. It will not ask you to enter your password or provide information of any kind. Be careful with this, as it can be a clear scam.
You should also analyze the phone call. It is true that detecting fraudulent calls is not always easy, but there are usually clues that help. For example, analyze if it is a call that sounds very generic, as if it were the same for any other user. Surely you will see that it is not a personalized call, speaking to you by name, etc.
Likewise, it is essential that you always have your accounts and devices well protected. Enable Amazon two-step authentication to reduce risks as much as possible. Also check that you have a good antivirus, as well as everything updated. That will help you avoid many problems.
