Common Amazon impostor scams and how to prevent them
By SellerBites
May 14, 2024
OpenAI is dubbed the “Google Translate killer” with the launch of GPT-4o—a combined text-audio-vision model that can do real-time voice translation and has human-level response times and expressiveness. The better news? It’s free to all users (for now)!
But you know what else is pretty useful and free? Tonight’s plateful of insights and reminders—served by yours truly.
BLACK MARKET
Amazon’s huge customer base makes it a favorite target of scammers. According to AARP, imposter scams are especially prevalent, with some bad actors impersonating more than one organization in a single hoax.
To thrive in the online marketplace, it’s important to know what these scams are and how to protect your customers (and yourself) against them.
🎭 Common Amazon impostor scams
- Fake order/delivery. Scammers send a message about a shipment problem and ask the recipient to pay bogus fees.
- Suspicious purchase. This widespread scam involves fraudsters calling to confirm the purchase of expensive items, creating a false sense of urgency. Then, they’ll offer to solve the issue by asking for credentials (username, passwords, etc.).
- Membership renewal scams. Many forget their Prime renewal dates, allowing bad actors to offer them fake upgrades.
- Tech support scam. Scammers claim account problems and offer remote help—in exchange for personal information.
- Employment scam. Scammers pretend to be Amazon recruiters and offer fake work-from-home jobs.
- Publishing scam. The culprits offer publishing services to authors and then deliver substandard or no service at all.
🛡️ How to protect yourself and your customers
All these impersonator scams aim to steal money, information, or both. Here are the best practices you can share with shoppers for a safer ecommerce experience:
- Check order history directly on Amazon.
- Don't click on email links or provide info without authentication.
- Remember that Amazon NEVER asks for gift card purchases, software downloads, or payments over the phone.
- Log in to Amazon directly rather than through search results.
And the most important tip…
Stay calm and don’t rush doing or deciding things. Assess the situation first to check whether what you’re being prompted to do doesn’t require you to disclose sensitive information. 🧠
You may also opt for complex passwords and multifactor authentication. And, don’t forget to contact authorities immediately if you think your privacy is compromised.
TOGETHER WITH INSENSE
FREE Cheatsheet: How to build viral TikTok Shop campaigns
FREE Cheatsheet: How to build viral TikTok Shop campaigns
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BITES OF THE WEEK
ECOMMERCE NEWS
Ecommerce sales surpassed $336 billion in the first 4 months of 2024
Ecommerce sales surpassed $336 billion in the first 4 months of 2024
Adobe's latest data shows that ecommerce is still going strong in 2024. In the first four months of 2024, consumers spent $331.6 billion, 7% higher than last year. With this magnitude, online spending is projected to reach over $500 billion by mid-year! 🚀
Here are the other findings from the report:
🛍️ Hottest categories
In the last months, consumers have been clicking their way through diverse aisles of the digital marketplace.
- Electronics sales reached $61.8 billion, showing a 3.1% YoY increase.
- Apparel sales hit $52.5 billion, showing a 2.6% YoY increase.
- Grocery sales totaled $38.8 billion, showing a 15.7% YoY increase.
- The rising star—cosmetics—raked in $13.2 billion, showing an 8% YoY increase.
🛒 Consumer habits
Did you know that ecommerce prices have dropped by 5.6% compared to last year? Despite this decrease, shoppers continue to pivot towards pocket-friendly choices.
- Cheaper goods are hot across major categories. However, some categories saw less dramatic shifts due to brand loyalty or quality preference.
- Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) contributed $25.9 billion in ecommerce spending, marking an 11.8% YoY increase.
- Mobile shopping is taking over with $156.9 billion being spent on phones, a 9.8% YoY growth.
🧠 Marketing mojos
- When it comes to driving sales, paid search takes the cake, accounting for 28.2% of online sales.
- Closely following are direct web visits, affiliates, and organic searches.
- Social media is trailing behind, but watch out—it's inching its way up, one double-tap at a time.
And there you have it—your insightful guide to making the most of the remaining 8 months of 2024.
ACTIONABLE ADVICE
Spot fake online reviews in 4 easy ways
Spot fake online reviews in 4 easy ways
Online reviews have a significant influence on customers’ buying decisions. But lurking in the shadows are deceptive reviews that can harm your business and mislead customers. 🕵️♂️
Several companies, including Amazon, have started using AI to combat fake reviews. The Conversation also shared 4 ways to help you quickly spot them:
- Listen to your gut. Genuine reviews are balanced. Be cautious if a review seems overly positive or critical without any reason.
- Read between the lines. Pay attention to the language used. Real reviews feel personal, whereas fake ones may seem generic or overly promotional.
- Check the source. Real reviewers tell you about what they did or didn't like in detail. If a review doesn't give much information, it’s most likely fake (Disclaimer: This isn’t necessarily true all the time, as some buyers like to give concise feedback.).
- Watch for patterns. For instance, if several good or bad reviews show up suddenly, it might be because of someone trying to manipulate the ratings.
⚔️ While AI can be a valuable ally in the fight against fake reviews, it's important to arm yourself with strategies to safeguard your business. At the end of the day, staying vigilant is still the best defense against misleading reviews.
