Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has received the report of another phone scam targeting Humboldt County residents, this time claiming to be with the online retailer Amazon.

As part of this scam, the caller identifies themselves as an Amazon employee and tells the victim that there was unusual activity on their Amazon account. The scammer then asks the victim if they had recently purchased a $999 iPhone on Amazon. When the victim says no, the caller instructs the victim to file a claim form with the scammers, stealing personal information in the process.

 If you get a call like this, there are a few steps you should take:

• Hang up. Don’t call them back on the number they gave you. If you’re concerned about an order you didn’t place, contact the business through a customer service phone number or email you know is legitimate. You can usually find a company’s real information on their website.
• Check your credit card account. If you see a charge you don’t recognize, file a dispute with your credit card company immediately.
• Report the fake call to the business. Make sure to use the contact information from their website – not the information from the phone call. You can also report the call to the FTC.

If you have fallen victim to a business imposter, head to IdentityTheft.gov for tips to protect yourself. To learn more about imposter scams, visit the FTC’s Imposter Scams page.