'They Want To Ruin Your Christmas': Scammers Target Ohioans

OHIO — Scammers and robocallers are trying to ruin your Christmas.

That's what Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said on Monday, warning Ohioans that fraudsters are posing as Amazon, Apple and PayPal to steal your cash. Many of the scammers tell their victims someone has stolen their identity and made a large purchase with their credit card.

“Legitimate companies don’t do business this way, so just hang up,” Yost said. “These impostors want to get you on the line and cause panic so you cough up personal information. My hope is that you will answer by ending the call.”

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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reporting that many impersonators are claiming to work with Amazon while telling "customers" they ordered an expensive product or service. Then the scammers convince customers to give them access to their computer so they can receive a "refund." Once they get access, the scammers steal the person's identifying personal information.

In other versions of the scam, victims are convinced to buy gift cards to stop the "unauthorized Amazon purchase."

Amazon would never call a customer to get their personal information or discuss a refund.

Yost's office offered the following tips to protect yourself from holiday scams:

• Just hang up if you get a cold call from someone you don't know claiming you've purchased something from Amazon.
• Do not call back phone numbers on your caller ID. If you're concerned about a "purchase," go to the company website and look up the customer service number.
• Regularly check your credit card bills for any signs of unusual activity.
• Do not trust callers asking you to buy gift cards to stop a scam.
• To report a scam, contact the legitimate retailer through the contact information on its website and the Ohio Attorney General’s Help Center.
• If you’ve fallen victim to a business impostor scam by disclosing personal identifying information, download the Ohio Attorney General’s ID Theft Basics publication and visit www.identitytheft.gov for help on how to proceed.