Amazon Escheatment Scam
Did you receive a letter from Amazon Payments informing you that you have unclaimed funds owed to you?
The Amazon Escheatment scam is a scam that involves mailing you a check, and typically follows a common pattern. Here’s how it works:
Initial Contact: You receive an unsolicited letter, email, or message, often claiming to be from Amazon Tax-Escheatment Team. They will claim that you have unclaimed funds due to you.
You may receive a confirmation email if you submit the form from what looks to be an official Amazon email address – but isn’t.
Fake Check: The communication includes a check made out to you, and it may appear genuine at first glance. The check often looks like it’s from a well-known bank, and it might even include watermarks and security features. However, it’s a counterfeit check.
Notice the check is made payable to Escheatment Customer Refund and not you!
Instructions: Along with the check, you receive instructions that tell you to deposit the check into your bank account. Sometimes, scammers might ask you to wire a portion of the funds back to them or to a third party for various reasons, such as covering taxes, fees, or processing costs.
Check Bounces: Once you deposit the check into your bank account, it might initially appear as if the funds are available. However, banks have a verification process that can take several days. When the bank eventually realizes the check is fake, they’ll deduct the full amount from your account, leaving you responsible for the entire sum.
Losses and Potential Legal Consequences:
You’re left with a loss equivalent to the amount you wired or spent, and you may also have to pay overdraft fees. Additionally, involvement in fraudulent activities, even unwittingly, could have legal consequences.
The key to avoiding such scams is to be cautious with unsolicited offers that involve receiving checks, especially if they ask you to send money back or forward it to others. Always independently verify the legitimacy of any offer or check by contacting the supposed sender through their official channels,
and remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If you receive one of these scam letters, you can report it to Amazon HERE
