She wanted to talk to a person at Amazon about her account. She searched the Internet for a phone number. What happened next was a scary journey of being conned out of money, having her retirement savings threatened, and feeling embarrassed that she had been scammed.
What blew my mind was that I had just heard a similar story a couple of weeks earlier from another client.
Neither of my clients perceived themselves as being vulnerable to scam artists. But in each case, the initial conversations created such anxiety over possibly being held responsible for fraudulent activity that they didn’t think things through in the moment.
They shared their stories with me in the hope of helping others avoid being scammed.
How do I talk to a live person at Amazon?
How do I talk to a live person at Amazon?That’s the question my client googled. Unfortunately, the result that popped up was a scammer’s phone number. The scammer said my client’s Amazon account had been flagged for suspicious activity; that someone used her information to illegally buy gift cards in her name and opened three accounts totaling $800,000 to launder money. The scammer told my client she was being investigated by “the feds” over the money laundering.
“I was shocked and I was very scared,” my client recalled.
The scammer sent her to purchase gift cards with the assurance that all purchases would be credited back to her bank account.
“But for now, you need to buy the gift cards because someone got to your account and you need to make it right,” the scammer told her.
My client made purchases until she emptied her bank account. Then the scammer asked about any retirement accounts.
“We’re here to protect you and protect your money,” the scammer said. “Let your financial advisor know you want to liquidate your account.”
Throughout the ordeal, the scammer warned her to tell no one what was happening- not even her daughter. The scammer called her throughout the night to check in, each time telling her that she was on a secure line and if my client was going to text anyone to let them know first so they could ensure the text was secure.
“I finally wrote a letter to my daughter and hand-delivered it to her to tell her what was happening,” my client said.
Suspecting a scam, her daughter told her to hang up the phone. That ended the ordeal.
“Had my daughter not said anything, I don’t know what I would’ve done,” she said. “I felt stupid because I listen to news stories when the elderly are scammed out of their life savings and I always ask, ‘Why would you do that?’ I say to myself I would never be that dumb. I try to be on top of these things.”
How the scam begins for most
How the scam begins for mostThis client’s situation was unique, but my other client experienced a more common form of the scam: Word is received that your Amazon account is locked down due to a suspicious charge. The call or email appears as though it’s coming from Amazon, but it isn’t. They may claim to want to help ensure your bank account is secure and transfer you to another scammer posing as your bank representative.
In other cases, they may claim someone has used your Social Security number to open fraudulent accounts in your name. Sometimes the scammer says you may be arrested for account fraud. This is just a scare tactic.
The scammers frequently try to coerce victims into making immediate payments using gift cards or providing sensitive personal information. They may claim that you are under investigation, your inbound/outbound calls are being monitored, and to tell no one about your situation.
“No one legitimate will tell you to keep it a secret,” according to the FTC website. “If there’s a problem with your account or identity, always talk about it with someone you trust — especially if the stranger on the phone says it’s serious or involves a crime or claims to be from the government. That’s a scam.”
Helpful Resources
If you are concerned about fraudulent accounts created in your name, you can get an instant copy of your credit report online for free and look for accounts you don’t recognize. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com.
The FTC website has good information on how to spot, stop and report impersonators.
May 2026
