[Scam Alert] Amazon Free Coat Scam

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Recently a Facebook post about free coats on Amazon went viral — then similar posts started circulating via Facebook and now many people are discussing if the deal is true. Here’s the short answer: NO! Don’t fall for it!

The scammers falsely claim that Amazon is giving away free coats and state that all you need to do is to order the coat via the Amazon link they provide and enter a promotional code.

This is what the product page looks like. It appears to be a legitimate listing on Amazon, but victims report that the promo code doesn’t work.

Potential Risks

What’s horrifying is that victims report discovering fraudulent activity after they’ve placed an order on this product page.

1. Personal Data Compromised

In legitimate scenarios, customers’ personal data won’t be collected by sellers on Amazon. Yet many complain that they receive a lot of spam messages and emails after making these purchases.

Besides spam, stolen personal information can also lead to identity theft.

2. Review Scam

What’s more, if scammers have your home address (which you revealed when purchasing the coat), they can initiate “brushing scams” — that is, they can send you ghost packages without seeking your consent.

What for? They can thus use that purchase record to leave positive comments and reviews for their Amazon account, which makes them more convincing to other would-be victims.

Some Red Flags

• Free items are also too-good-to-be-true.
• The Amazon seller’s account is new but already has lots of reviews.
• The product listing is flooded with irrelevant ratings and reviews.

How to Protect Yourself

• Ignore incredible offers.
• Change your account password if you think you’ve fallen for the Amazon free coat scam.
• Change the saved payment method and credit card information linked to your Amazon account.
• Report anything suspicious to Amazon’s Customer Service, especially when you receive unwanted packages.
• Check your credit card payment details regularly to see if there are any unusual activities.

Even though it’s on Amazon, you should still be careful before placing an order! Follow Trend Micro Home on Twitter to stay updated with the latest scams!