A new scam containing an Amazon customer survey 2022 has been spreading through email. It is a phishing scam because it allows you to collect a lot of data, as if it were a fishing net, through a simple communication aimed at a broad audience.
Fake Amazon Emails: How Does The Scam Work?
The unsuspecting victim receives an email apparently from Amazon to their email address. The email promises the unfortunate a fantastic prize only after answering some simple questions.
How To Recognize Fake Amazon Emails
The fake webpage features the Amazon logo and doesn’t take long to answer questions. At the end of the survey, the user is redirected to a page asking him to select the desired prize: an iPhone 11, an iPad Pro, or a Samsung Galaxy S20.
These fantastic prizes are not entirely free but are sold for a meager price of around 1 or 2 euros.
What Is A Fake Amazon Email Scam?
Cybercriminals intend to induce the victim to pay a small amount, thereby appropriating personal login and payment information.
Once they have acquired the credit card’s complete data, they can clone it and proceed with small withdrawals. This way, they do not alarm the connected banking system.
It is not the first time that this computer scam on the web has targeted Amazon with fraudulent emails, even technically, to deceive many people.
ALSO READ: Amazon Web Services At A Glance
Types Of Phishing Used
The types of Phishing used can be divided into 4 types defined as follows:
- Greed;
- Kindness;
- Obedience;
- Fear;
Let’s see in detail the types and how they work:
Greed
You will receive an email, for example, from Amazon, stating that you have been selected to receive a gift. You must click on the next button to complete the operation.
Kindness
You will receive an email from an address you know, maybe from the same company you work for. Inside is an attachment containing a virus; you will be kindly asked to open the file because your colleague has encountered problems opening it. She will even write you the password to open the file.
The text of the email focuses on the kindness of requests.
Obedience
In this case, the phisher will point to an email from a military body, such as the financial police, where you will be asked to pay.
Actions
By clicking on the link contained in the body of the email, you will be directed to the Guardia di Finanza clone site, where you will be asked to enter your credentials.
Fear
In this case, the phisher is betting everything on intimidation, writing in the email that your PC has been hacked and that it has sensitive information.
It usually writes that you have been recorded while watching adult sites and videos, and your webcam has also been hacked, so it has hot videos.
Actions
By accepting the payment, (99% bitcoin), the phisher will tell you that your data will not be put online.
The types of Phishing are technically divided into:
- Common Phish;
- Spear Phish;
- Clone Phish;
- Whalink shark;
If in doubt, you can always consult the Customer Support page of the official Amazon website.
Phishing Attacks: How To Defend Yourself
Here are some tips for defending against phishing attacks:
Online Tools
Use free online tools like Virustotal to check potentially dangerous links and attachments.
Answer In The Correct Way
If you receive a strange email, for example, from your bank asking for your login credentials, contact the bank immediately by phone to ask for clarification.
Change your passwords immediately and start an antivirus scan on your pc / device.
