Ohio Man Lost Over $124,000 in Amazon Scam

Beware of this common Amazon scam that could cost you big.

Scammers have been tricking elderly out of money all over the world using this tactic.  However, this story is more heartbreaking than most because of the large amount the Rocky River, Ohio man lost to the scammers.  Over $124,000!  Here's how the scam worked according to a police report obtained by Cleveland19.com,

He (the victim) told police two men called him claiming to be from Amazon security and that someone had charged $900 to the man’s account. The scammers convinced him to connect his bank account to a new account.

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These scams can be convincing, but very easy to avoid.  We've learned from this story to never give your bank account info over the phone or email to someone claiming to be from Amazon.  Also, if you receive a call like this, you could check your recent activity on your Amazon account without giving the person on the phone access to your account.

Not all scams like this happen over the phone.  There is a similar email phishing scam.  Readers Digest suggests you take these steps if you receive a suspicious Amazon email,

• Do not click suspicious links in emails or text messages.
• Do not give your personal information out via phone, email, or text.
• Scan emails for grammatical errors and/or spelling mistakes.
• If you receive an email, check the sender’s email address to see if it’s legitimate.

It's unclear if law enforcement will be able to catch the people that scammed this elderly Ohio man.  However, his bank and the local police are investigating.